A Little Destiny, a Little Fate, and What's Written in the Stars

by Roseisarose123

Fate is a funny thing, it can be mysterious, it can be illusive, but it's always there. Some people spend their whole lives chasing it, while others try to avoid it. But sometimes we meet our fate on the very road that we take to avoid it. * FYI- made a small change to ch 10(11)due to sm. discrepancy in my timeline, making it 8 yrs after HTTYD1 rather than 5 yrs.*

34. The Broken Road

The Broken Road

Every long lost dream led me to where you are Others who broke my heart,
they were like Northern stars Pointing me on my way into your loving arms This much I know is true That God blessed the broken road,
that led me straight to you ~(Bless the Broken Road~The Rascal Flatts.)~

Chapter 34

Hiccup sat by the fire cross-legged with his back up against the cave wall, diligently jotting things down in his notebook. Not long after their intimate moment, Merida had ordered him to sit by the fire and get some rest, but thus far he had been unable to shut his brain off. There was far too much on his mind.

Though initially discouraged by the lack of evidence that their brief search of Adag had provided, he was more than intrigued regarding his newest revelation. Could it be that their dreams were indeed revealing to them their own future fate rather than the truth of their grandparents' past? He kept going over everything again and again in his mind, trying to connect the dots between their dreams and reality, but there were so many details that he was becoming slightly overwhelmed. He decided to write all his jumbled thoughts down and compare his notes. Perhaps seeing it all down on paper might confirm that there indeed was a pattern to all the things he and Merida had seen and been through. So far, he'd made a few good connections, but his notes were still nearly as cluttered as his thoughts. His brain a jumbled mess of theories, Hiccup sighed heavily as he tried to push it all to the back of his mind. Perhaps taking a step back from his research, even briefly, might help to clear his mind and help him gain some perspective on the subject.

With his notebook still opened in his lap, he leaned his head back against the cave wall and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he lifted his head and looked to his friends. Both Fish and Eret were seemingly sound asleep. Though Hiccup swore that Eret had stirred from his slumber earlier, he was out cold now. All things considered; he was thankful that his friends were able to at least get some decent rest after the whole kelpie ordeal.

Despite his gratitude, Hiccup was still fairly worried about Eret. Eret had gotten injured the worst of them all, and he hoped above all else that his friend's injuries weren't more serious than they believed them to be. Eret at least seemed okay for the most part and he had even insisted that they were all just overreacting to his injury, but Hiccup remained skeptical. After all, they had all seen the blow that had thrown Eret clean across the shore and into the stone wall of Adag; they had all heard his body strike the wall hard enough to cause the stones to cave in around him. Though Eret insisted that he was fine, Hiccup knew that no human body could sustain such a blow without significant injury. Thus, Hiccup had kept a close and watchful eye on his friend as he slept.

Based on the significant bruising that Merida had seen, the pain in Eret's chest, and his slightly labored breathing, Hiccup was certain that Eret had most likely suffered a broken rib or two at the very least. So far, Odin willing, Eret did at least seem as stable as he claimed. Of course, the same couldn't be said for Hiccup himself once Astrid found out about this. Hiccup could only pray, that Astrid wouldn't kill him for having put her husband in danger, whenever they eventually made it back home to Berk.

As the thought of returning to Berk inadvertently arose in his brain, it suddenly occurred to Hiccup that he hadn't even thought about going home since he had arrived in Dunbroch. In fact, throughout the entirety of his time in Dunbroch, he had all but put Berk out of his mind completely. Distracted by the mystery, and preoccupied by his feelings for Merida, the thought of returning home had been the furthest thing from his mind. As he thought about it now, reality seemed to crash down on him, he could not stay in Dunbroch indefinitely. As Chief he was obligated to return home eventually and he had every intention of doing so, but now the thought of leaving Merida behind made his heart ache; even more so, after the kelpie incident that had very nearly taken her from him. Now it seemed the very idea of being away from Merida for any length of time was an unbearable notion. Not to mention the fact that the suitors would be arriving in the next few days, he definitely did not want to leave Dunbroch until after the whole courtship situation was done and settled.

Suddenly overwhelmed by his thoughts, Hiccup sat forward quickly grasping the bridge of his nose as he tried to banish the mere idea of leaving Dunbroch from his brain. Though his eventual homecoming was ultimately inevitable, he chose to leave the question of what he'd do when his duty to Berk finally caught up with him for another day. First and foremost, was his goal to gain the king and queen's blessing in order to make things official with Merida, only after that would he cross the bridge regarding Berk.

He sighed heavily as he dropped his hand at his side and leaned back against the cave wall once more. His thoughts once again circled back to their plan to come forward to Merida's parents in the coming day. Though he was determined to make a good impression, he was still fairly uncertain of what the queen's reaction to him would be. Knowing the queen's unfortunate history with the Vikings that had once invaded Dunbroch, and also her negative, albeit misguided, opinion of his Berkan ancestors, only increased his apprehension. On top of that Merida's reluctance to reveal their relationship to her parents for the time being certainly did not help to alleviate his anxiety either. Though he remained confident in their plan to come forward, he was still fairly nervous about it. He had hoped to come forward honestly, after all, he had nothing to hide. His only wish was to earnestly confess to them his true feelings for their daughter. His hope was that the sincerity of his confession might sway her mother and father's decision in his favor. But with Merida still set on keeping their relationship a secret, Hiccup wasn't quite sure how to approach meeting them.

Not only was he unconvinced that hiding their feelings was wise, but he wasn't even sure it was feasible at this point. He loved Merida more than he had ever loved anyone before. He could barely contain his feelings for her now, let alone deny them completely. He was more than certain that attempting to do so would be damn near impossible. Surely her parents would easily see through their rouse; they weren't blind. From Merida's own admission, her mother seemed a rather intuitive and intelligent woman, especially regarding her children. Merida had even said herself that her mother might already suspect that she had met someone. If that was truly the case, then it wouldn't take much at all for the queen to put two and two together. Hiccup sighed heavily once more as his thoughts threatened to overwhelm him.

He wished now that he had come forward earlier, before Merida had ever been told of the coming suitors at all. Perhaps if he had, they'd have already revealed their relationship, maybe they'd have even come up with some sort of a plan regarding Merida's impending courtship. He couldn't help but to feel now that they were running out of time. Somehow, he had to appeal to her parents, get to know them and vice versa. He'd not only have to prove himself worthy, but also plead his case for all of Berk to reestablish an alliance between their clans, all before revealing his and Merida's relationship and hope by some miracle her parents would give them their blessing. Somehow, he had to accomplish all of this within the next few days before the other suitors arrived. And then, to top it all off, even if he did accomplish his goals, he'd most likely still be expected to compete with the suitors for Merida's hand.

He had absolutely no worries whatsoever about "winning" Merida's hand. Fate had brought them together, and as far as Hiccup was concerned, nothing and nobody could ever come between them. But the suitors did not know this, and most likely they would be trying like mad to turn Merida's head. He could not stand the thought of these other men also attempting to woo her. Honestly, he wasn't quite sure how all of this was going to play out, but he couldn't help but feel that this whole thing was going to be a disaster waiting to happen. Suppose one of these suitors tried something with Merida? What if one of them touched her, or maybe even tried to kiss her? What was he supposed to do, just pretend it didn't bother him? He wasn't even sure that was possible. He knew, without doubt, that if he were to bear witness to any of the suitors trying something with Merida, he would simply be incapable of holding back. Suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of jealous anxiousness. He sat forward once more, and sighed heavily as he tried to control his emotions. Though he had stressed to Merida earlier that the coming of the suitors would have no effect on him or their plans, he silently dreaded the suitors' arrival. He took a deep breath as he tried to push his worries to the back of his mind. There was no sense in over-analyzing the situation that hadn't even happened yet. He silently reminded himself that the coming of the suitor's was ultimately inconsequential; Merida had already made her choice. Perhaps if her parents agreed to he and Merida's betrothal, they would even call the whole courtship thing off. Of course, if he was right, if her parents had initially agreed to the courtship for fear of the Lord's escalating things as he suspected they had, then most likely they would still allow the courtship to commence, even if just for show. Thus, it seemed Hiccup was doomed to endure a barrage of other young men attempting to turn Merida's head and the mere thought of it caused Hiccup's jealous anxiousness to nearly double.

While his rational mind knew he had nothing to fear in regards to Merida's feelings for him, he could not stop his own feelings of jealousy from coursing through his veins. He tried his best to sort through his overwhelming emotions, and he tried his best to understand them. If he had complete trust and faith in he and Merida's relationship, then why was he so easily overcome by these bouts of jealousy. Even upon seeing her with Eret earlier while she dressed his wound, he had to fight back his feelings. Initially, he had wanted to get up and interrupt the seemingly close moment he thought he had witnessed, but he knew that would not have gone over so well with Merida. He knew damn well that he was overreacting, there was nothing more to it. If he had confronted them, it would only have hurt Merida and damaged the trusting bond they had formed.

He knew it all had to do with his own, deep-rooted insecurities where love was concerned; insecurities that not only stemmed from his unfortunate history with Eret and Astrid, but also his past experiences over the majority of his life in Berk. All his life he had been overlooked, underestimated, passed over, and often rejected. Because of that he had always felt that he wasn't good enough. Even before Eret, when he was with Astrid, he had always felt as if he were being judged. He'd always felt that others would question what Astrid had ever seen in him or why Astrid would ever settle for him to begin with. And even though they were clearly a couple, it didn't stop many a Viking from trying to turn Astrid's head.

He imagined that it might very well be no different with Merida, except maybe on a larger scale. It wouldn't be just a few villagers judging him, but an entire kingdom. Instead of being in competition with a few overconfident Vikings vying for his girlfriend's affection, he'd have to compete with every eager young nobleman in Dunbroch. Men who, no doubt, were most likely better than Hiccup on many levels. The worst part was that these men were vying, not only for Merida's hand, but the crown she came with and the powerful position a marriage to her would provide. These men had probably spent their entire lives preparing for the throne of Dunbroch and were most likely motivated by power. Because of this it was more important than ever that he keep his cool and control his jealous tendencies. He could not give any of the Lords ammunition to expel him from the competition; nor give Merida's parents any reason to doubt his worthiness.

Unlike the suitors, Hiccup had no interest whatsoever in the crown, the throne, or the power. His only motivation was Merida herself and the love he felt for her. Surely her parents would see that. From all she had told him, Hiccup was certain that Merida's parents wanted only for her happiness, otherwise they wouldn't have ever given her the freedom to choose a suitor for herself in the first place. Surely, they would accept her choice once they knew she'd already made one. He was, of course, far from a perfect choice, but he was certain her parents would see past his flaws when they realized that he made Merida happy.

Though he was far from perfect, he still had much to offer. While he himself had never prepared to become a king, he at least had experience being a leader of his own people. Of course, he had never wanted the position of chief in the first place, and he had initially resisted it when his father first suggested it. Thus, he had never formally prepared to be chief either before the role had been thrust upon him. Despite this, he had grown into the role and in his own opinion he'd done a pretty good job so far. He was definitely no Stoic, but he had brought his own strengths and goals to the position, and he had truly made it his own. Surely, he could do the same in Dunbroch.

From what he had learned from Merida regarding Dunbroch, it seemed the ruling class was stuck in the mire of its old archaic ways. It seemed the Lords and their sons were fixed on the old ways and bound to tradition. If one of them were indeed to take up the throne, nothing would ever change. Any future queen would still be stuck in the same position that Mairead had been, in the same predicament that Merida was in now. In his opinion, Dunbroch was in need of change. Maybe someone with a different perspective could indeed change things for the better, and the people of Dunbroch would be better for it. He wouldn't choose to be king, but if the role were thrust upon him, perhaps he could do some good with it.

Truthfully, the only thing he could even think of doing was to give Merida back the right to rule her own country. In his opinion, Merida deserved the opportunity to rule Dunbroch more than anybody else. She, like the suitors, had also prepared all her life to be queen. It simply wasn't fair that in the aftermath of her eventual marriage she was expected to sit at her husband's side as he took the crown. She would basically remain nothing more than a pretty trophy on a shelf, to be seen and not heard, with no more say in her own kingdom than a sheep has in its flock. Though, in her words, she had always resisted the role of queen, just as he had resisted being chief, he believed it was a role she was meant to have. She cared deeply for her people, and her country and he believed wholeheartedly that as queen she could do great things if only given the chance. If things worked out in their favor, and he did win her hand, then Hiccup vowed to stand at Merida's side. The throne was her birthright, and he would not take that from her, even if it was tradition.

With this in mind, he began, once again, to contemplate how best to approach the meeting with her parents. He thought back to when he'd first stumbled upon Dunbroch. From the moment he had first set eyes upon this place, and before he had even met Merida, he had been drawn to Dunbroch. He had a good feeling from the very start that an alliance with these people might be beneficial to Berk and vice versa.

Perhaps, he thought, he should approach meeting them with his original goal in mind, to gain their trust just as he would with any other tribe he had come across. Hiccup supposed that convincing the king and queen to form an alliance with Berk might still give him an advantage in his ultimate pursuit of Merida. Despite Merida's worry, Hiccup was certain that he could convince her parents to form an alliance and if her parents trusted him enough to entertain the idea of an alliance, surely, they'd consider his petition of betrothal to Merida.

His success, of course, still depended heavily upon the queen's opinion of him, and whether or not he could convince her that the Vikings of Berk were far different than the dreaded northern invaders. Of course, he still had yet to learn the details of the queen's encounter with the Vikings that had taken her sister. Hiccup remembered that Merida said earlier that she had talked to her mother, and she had seemed less than thrilled about it. Merida still had yet to share the details of what she'd learned, and Hiccup worried that it might affect her decision to come forward at all. At least now Merida's brothers were on their side, and also Hiccup's friends were here to back them up. He and Merida were not completely on their own. The queen might very well care less about the opinion of Hiccup's friends, but surely she'd take the opinion of her own sons into consideration.

Hiccup was distracted from his thoughts as Merida walked past him with her arms full of dry twigs that she had found further back in the cave. Silently he watched, as she dropped the twigs atop the fire, then gently stoked the flames with a long stick. At the sight of her, his somewhat troubled thoughts began to melt away from his mind. Hiccup felt his breath hitch slightly as he continued to gaze in her direction.

The firelight illuminated her silhouette and made her pale complexion appear almost luminous. Her wild, red curls were practically aglow and nearly resembled the flames themselves. Hiccup's heart nearly melted at the sight. God, she was beautiful; did she even realize how beautiful? Everything about her was effortlessly elegant and even her mundane task of stoking the fire caused his heart to race.

With a soft sigh, she dropped the stick beside the fire, then wiped the perspiration from her brow with her sleeve. She turned in his direction with a smile that once again caused his breath to hitch. She furrowed her brow when she became aware of his gaze. She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips as she gazed back at him.

"I thought I told ye tae get some rest," she said firmly with a slight shake of her head. Hiccup grinned up at her. One of the many things he loved about her was her genuine concern for him. It seemed from the first day they met, she had always had his safety and well-being in mind. Well...aside from when she tried to kill him, of course, and aside from when she accused him of trying to seduce her. Hiccup chuckled slightly under his breath at the memory of their meeting. It all seemed so long ago now; they had certainly come a long way since that first day.

"I closed my eyes for a few minutes," he replied jokingly.

"Then what's this," Merida questioned pointing down at the opened notebook upon his lap.

"What," Hiccup scoffed, "this is important research, I don't know about you but I'm trying to figure out as much of this mystery as I can before I meet your parents, besides…research helps me relax... it's like... counting sheep." Merida raised an eyebrow as she gazed at him in both amusement and disbelief.

"Ye won't be sayin' that tomorrow when yer sore from head tae toe, all fur ye did nae rest," she replied. Hiccup rolled his eyes playfully.

"Fine," he groaned as he closed the notebook and set it down beside him. He turned his eyes back to her and smiled. She grinned triumphantly back at him.

"Ya know," he sighed as he raised an eyebrow at her, "I'd be a lot more willing to stay put and rest if you'd sit with me."

"I'd love to, but somebody has to keep the fire going," Merida replied flatly as she motioned to the campfire behind her. Hiccup snickered at her excuse.

"The fire can take care of itself," Hiccup replied dismissively, "but I'm injured and helpless...I need you to look after me." Merida raised an eyebrow at him.

"And what o' the others," Merida replied, "they are injured as well. Who will tend tae them if I focus all my attention on ye?"

"They're fine," Hiccup replied as he waved his hand dismissively at his sleeping friends, "their wounds aren't nearly as serious as mine is." Hiccup placed a hand over his bandage and winced for show.

"Aye, I thought ye said it was nothin' more than a scratch and that I was just overreacting," Merida said haughtily as she put her hands on her hips and smirked at him. Hiccup frowned at her mockingly.

"But it hurts," he whined as he clutched his bandage, "and you make it feel better." Merida rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Fine," she groaned dropping her hands at her sides in mock defeat. She walked over to him and plopped down beside him. Hiccup grinned at her auspiciously. Merida raised an eyebrow at him knowingly.

"Dinnae ye think for a second that ye can milk that wound to get whatever ye want," Merida huffed.

"What," Hiccup replied in a shocked tone, "I would never do such a thing." Merida gazed up at him dubiously.

"Aye, like ye wouldn't use yer dragon to get me tae like ye," Merida replied with a raised eyebrow. Hiccup snickered back at her.

"What," Hiccup replied in mock offense, "what kind of guy do you think I am princess?" He suddenly yawned out loud as he lifted his arms overhead then unsubtly wrapped the arm closest to her around her shoulder. "See," Hiccup replied smugly, "you're already making me sleepy."

"Is that so," she chuckled as she smiled up at him. Hiccup nodded as he pulled her closer to him. She laid her head upon his shoulder, leaning into him comfortably. Hiccup then tilted his head to rest his cheek upon her soft red curls.

"This is so much better than research," Hiccup sighed. Merida chuckled at his comment, causing his heart to flutter. Her laugh was the best sound in the world to him and it seemed to always instantly fill his heart with joy. He leaned down to her and kissed her tenderly upon the cheek. The feel of his lips on her soft skin once again caused Merida to shiver slightly and she giggled in response, causing his heart to flutter even more.

"Oh no ye don't," Merida chuckled, "I think we've done more than enough o' that today... ye best nae start yer shenanigans' again."

"Shenanigans'," Hiccup chuckled as he gently nuzzled her neck, "what shenanigans?"

"Ye know very well what shenanigans'," Merida replied cheekily. She moved to pull away from him, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to him causing her to laugh once more. She sat in front of him now, in the middle of his outstretched legs with her back up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. She chuckled slightly as she nestled herself comfortably within his warm arms and laid her head back against his chest. Both she and Hiccup smiled in contentment, finding comfort in each other's warm embrace. As he held her, Hiccup silently recalled the last time they were stranded in a cave during a storm.

…...

"Ye wanna know why I think Mairead liked Hiccup the first best of all?"

"Why," Hiccup asked in intrigue.

"Because," she sighed as she gazed into the warm fire, "he never treated her like a princess. He only saw her as she was not what she was expected to be. He saw right through to the real her and he loved her, imperfections and all," she dropped her eyes to the ground and sighed softly, "I think that's all she ever really wanted." She turned her eyes back to the fire and gazed at it with a far-off look in her eye. Hiccup smiled tenderly in her direction. He reached over and gently took her hand in his.

"You'll find that too ya know," he said softly. She turned to him with a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Ye really think so," she questioned. Hiccup leaned a little closer to her and smiled.

"Of...of course," he stuttered as he gazed at her longingly, "I... uh...I... I think..." He hesitated a moment as he seemed to lose the words he was trying to say. "I... I think it...it's just uh...uh...a matter of time."

...

Hiccup remembered the moment between them fondly. At the time, he was still quite torn about his feelings for her and what to do about them. He knew that he liked her and that his feelings only grew stronger with each passing day, but he feared putting his heart on the line. He was still afraid that his feelings would be unrequited and his fear of being hurt still kept him from taking a chance. But he could tell by the far-off look in her eye as she described what she thought her grandmother had loved about his grandfather, that she was also describing what she, herself, longed for in a potential love interest. In that moment, he wished to be the one to give her all the things that she wanted, and he wished to be the one to love her as she longed to be loved.

Now as he sat here with her in his arms, he couldn't imagine it any other way. He had no doubts that this was how it was always meant to be, that they were truly meant to be together. Even if he had indisputable knowledge that loving her would result in inevitable heartbreak, he wouldn't choose another path. As far as he was concerned, there was no other path to choose, besides the one that led to her.

Once he had finally confessed his feelings, he knew with certainty that there was no going back. He was all in; come whatever challenges or heartaches this path might lead him to. He had taken a chance and confessed his love, and she loved him back just as much. There was nothing in the world that could make him happier than he was in this moment with her.

They sat quietly for a long while, watching the gently flickering flames of the fire, and listening to the pitter patter of the rain outside as it pelted the earth. The sound of the rain drops seemed lighter now and Hiccup guessed that it wouldn't be long before the storm would pass, and they would all be able to head back to camp. Though he was certain that they would all be eager to leave this cave and put this terrible day behind them, Hiccup would've been more than happy to just stay here in this moment, with Merida in his arms.

He leaned forward slightly, burying his face in her fiery red locks. He inhaled deeply, taking in the light, floral scent that always seemed to permeate her hair. The faint, albeit sweet aroma filled his heart with warmth, and he wondered silently what she used to make it smell so good. He closed his eyes as he allowed the scent to pervade his senses. His heart felt full as he held her close to him, and he could not help but to once again thank Odin for her safety.

But just as thankful as he was, his heart was also filled with remorse for having put her in danger in the first place. The knowledge that he'd very nearly lost her, made him desperate to be closer to her and he tightened his arms around her just a little more. As if sensing his turmoil, Merida turned her head and looked up at him.

"Are ye okay Hiccup," Merida questioned in concern.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup replied in a low voice.

"Sorry," she questioned.

"I'm sorry I dragged you to Adag," Hiccup replied, "I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you…. and that I put you in danger." Merida quickly sat forward and turned around to face him. He looked down and away from her, seemingly ashamed to meet her gaze.

"Ye didn't drag me," Merida replied firmly, "I went willingly."

"Only because I convinced you to go," Hiccup replied, "it's my fault we were there... it's my fault that you almost got hurt... or worse. If something had happened to you, I… I couldn't live with myself." Merida continued to gaze at him with a serious expression on her face. Only hours ago, Hiccup had done everything he could to set her mind at ease when she broke down in the aftermath of the kelpie attack. He had been strong for her, but now it seemed as though everything had caught up with him.

"Ye can't think like that Hiccup," Merida said as she gently placed her hand on his stubbled cheek, "as ye said before...we are all okay... we are safe, there is no point in dwellin' on what might've been." Merida dropped her hands from his face, then leaned forward pressing her cheek against his chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders.

"We are okay Hiccup," she repeated assuredly, "we're here together... n' we're okay, just focus on that."

Hiccup nodded as he silently took comfort in her words. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist as he leaned against her, resting his chin upon her shoulder. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, letting the negative emotions fall away from his mind. He focused on this moment, on the fact that they truly were okay and most importantly that they were together.

"I love you Merida," Hiccup said. Merida pulled back slightly, her pale blue eyes meeting his green ones. She smiled warmly up at him.

"I know," she replied with a smile, "I love ye too." She turned around in his arms once again and leaned her back up against his chest. Hiccup instinctually wrapped his warm arms around her and held her close as he rested his cheek upon her soft red curls.

"So," she sighed, "what were ye workin' on so diligently before." Hiccup furrowed his brow slightly in confusion.

"Uh…. what," Hiccup stuttered in reply. Merida chuckled slightly at his response.

"Yer notebook," Merida replied, "ye were jottin' things down like mad before." Hiccup shrugged.

"Oh…uh…nothing in particular really," Hiccup replied, "I was just trying to keep my brain from imploding." Merida furrowed her brow at his answer.

"Ye what," she questioned. Hiccup chuckled at her reaction.

"It's nothing," he chuckled, "I just have a lot on my mind, what with our newest theory, and …everything else…it's hard to keep it all straight. I was just writing it all down to try to make sense of it, and clear my head a bit." He paused for a moment before continuing, "okay it…it's not exactly nothing, I…I was mostly focused on our dreams."

"Our dreams," Merida replied questioningly.

"I was comparing our dreams to reality, to try to make sense of my theory," Hiccup replied, "but there were so many details, I was getting a little overwhelmed thinking about it, so I tried to write some of it down. I figured if I could see it all down on paper, maybe I could make more sense of it…or at least find some sort of a pattern to it all." Merida nodded as she thought over his answer.

"Did it help at all," Merida questioned, "did ye find anything to suggest the possibility that somehow our dreams have been showin' us th' future?"

"Uh…well it's still kind of all over the place… just on paper instead of in my head," Hiccup replied, "it's…uh…it's still a work in progress." Merida furrowed her brow at his answer.

"So ye didn't find an'thing," Merida questioned disappointedly.

"No…no…not nothing," Hiccup replied, "it's just…uh… I'm not exactly sure I really understand it all fully. It all gets a little confusing the more I get into it. The whole idea is…well…it's completely illogical, ya know." Merida shook her head as she pondered his answer.

"I'm not sure I understand," Merida replied. Hiccup remained quiet for a moment as he pondered how best to explain it.

"Do you remember what you said before," Hiccup replied, "about how emotions a-are feelings; and you can't think about them with your head, but you feel them with your heart." Merida nodded.

"Well, I... I think it's a lot like that," Hiccup replied, "I can't make sense of this with my head…but in my heart I…I feel like it's the only explanation. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," Merida replied.

"It's like this whole thing is just beyond my understanding," Hiccup continued, "it doesn't make any sense whatsoever, a-and the more I try to make sense of it, the less sense it makes!" But my heart…my heart somehow doesn't question it."

"It's because ye have faith in it," Merida replied, "faith isn't measurable or explainable. Ye can't see it on paper. Ye either have it or ye don't." Hiccup nodded as he pondered her words.

"And how exactly does having faith in this help at all," Hiccup questioned, "how exactly do I explain this to anyone else and expect them to understand it when I don't even understand it myself?"

"I don't know," Merida replied thoughtfully, "but…maybe it's not for anyone else to understand, they are our dreams after all…maybe it's just for ye and I to know." Hiccup nodded as he pondered her words.

"Maybe you're right," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "well… anyway, I was going a little crazy trying to sort through my notes…I had to step away from it…so thank you, for your perfectly timed distraction." Merida giggled at his comment.

"Glad I could be of some help," Merida replied with a smile.

"Hey, what o' th' theory that ye could be a Lord o' Dunbroch," Merida questioned, "any luck there?" Hiccup sighed slightly.

"Don't even get me started on that," Hiccup replied, "I have enough on my mind. I need to focus on one mystery at a time here. Besides, I'm probably going to need a little more help looking into that one."

"Help," Merida questioned.

"Namely…access to the archives," Hiccup replied as he raised an eyebrow at her, "which I can't get until after tomorrow….ya know… after we come forward to your parents and of course depending upon whether or not they actually allow me into the archives." Hiccup paused for a long moment anticipating her response. He was met, however, with a deafening silence.

"That is still the plan…right…?"

Merida gulped slightly as she remained silent. In all the craziness of the past day, she had all but put the plan out of her mind. In this moment, not only did her anxiousness over the plan itself come flooding back, but also all she had learned from her mother that morning. She sighed heavily as she remembered that she still had yet to tell Hiccup the unpleasant details of she and her mother's conversation.

"Merida…?

"Right," Merida replied as she leaned forward suddenly, "of course, that's still the plan."

"You don't exactly sound all that confident about it," Hiccup noted, "you're not second guessing again… are you?" Merida turned to face him with a slightly worried expression on her face.

"No…no…of course not," Merida replied as she nervously tucked a loose curl behind her ear, "it…it's just that…"

"What," Hiccup replied anxiously as he anticipated her opposition. Merida turned to face him.

"Well, I…I told ye, I talked tae my mother," Merida replied. Hiccup nodded as he gazed at her knowingly, fully expecting her impending bad news.

"It's bad isn't it," Hiccup questioned with a heavy sigh. Merida dropped her eyes from his.

"It…it's not good," Merida replied cautiously, "in fact…it's far more complicated than I anticipated…. but I understand now why she feels as she does."

"Okay…so not all bad," Hiccup replied hopefully. Merida grimaced at him slightly.

"No…not all bad," Merida replied, "we had a …a decent heart to heart. Turns out ye were right about the suitors n' th' courtship. My parents only agreed to the courtship tae buy me time. Apparently, because o' my reluctance, th' lords have been colludin' about this for a while. My parents agreed to the courtship to keep th' lords at bay until I make my choice. My parents still stand by their decision that th' choice is still mine n' mine alone. They dinnae intend to force a choice upon me." Hiccup smiled as he gazed back at her hopefully.

"See," Hiccup replied, "I told you talking to her would help."

"Aye," Merida replied, "we talked calmly, and she actually listened….and most importantly, I put my pride aside and I listened too. I do believe it was a bit o' a turning point for my mum and I." Hiccup smiled at Merida as she spoke. He was happy to hear that she had indeed taken his advice, and more so that his inklings about her parents regarding the courtship turned out to be right. Surely the knowledge that her parents still remained on her side would set Merida's mind at ease even just a little. But as he gazed at her, his smile faltered at the sight of the still somewhat sullen expression on her face. Hiccup gazed back at her in concern.

"It…it's what happened to my mum's sister that's bad," Merida confessed, "it seems there was a lot more to my aunt Isla's story than my mum ever admitted to before." Hiccup gazed at her curiously.

"Like what exactly," he questioned. Merida took a deep breath before continuing.

"Prior tae th' Vikings invadin', Isla was originally betrothed…. tae my father," Merida began. Hiccup shook his head in confusion.

"Wait…..what," Hiccup questioned.

"I know it's crazy," Merida replied, "I was just as surprised as ye are, but it's true. Isla n' my father were betrothed. It was years after she was lost that he and my mum were betrothed." Hiccup raised his eyebrows in surprise as he listened.

"Anyway…at th' time o' their betrothal, however, Isla was already secretly in love with someone else," Merida continued, "my mother was th' only one who knew about it."

"Who was she in love with," Hiccup questioned.

"That's where it gets complicated," Merida replied, "Isla met a lad in th' woods, he told her that he was a sailor from th' North. Th' two o' them took a liking to one another n' grew quite close over the course o' a few months. She met with him in secret nearly every day; but when her father announced Isla's betrothal, she was forced to end things with him."

"It sounds a bit like us," Hiccup replied, "minus the betrothal part of course." Merida nodded.

"Aye, well, tis nae th' only similarity I'm afraid," Merida replied. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment.

"What do you mean," Hiccup questioned in both concern and intrigue.

"Turns oot, th' lad in th' woods wasn't just a sailor from th' North," Merida continued, "he was a Viking… a Viking with th' Northern Invaders."

"The Northern Invaders," Hiccup repeated in surprise, "the same Northern Invaders that attacked your mom's village?" Merida nodded.

"Aye," Merida replied solemnly. Hiccup shook his head as he thought over this detail.

"According to mum," Merida went on, "Isla was fooled by th' lad whom she loved. He was just usin' her to gain information for his clan to aid in their plunder. Th' very night that Isla met with him to tell him that she was betrothed n' coudnae see him again, th' Vikings invaded." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he thought over all she had said.

"And that was the invasion in which they took Isla," Hiccup questioned further.

"Aye, th' very same," Merida replied. Hiccup remained quiet for a long moment as he pondered this curious detail. However, something about the alleged scenario didn't quite add up in his mind. He began to wonder if there was more to it.

"Don't you think that all just sounds a little too convenient," Hiccup questioned.

"What do ye mean," Merida asked.

"Well…just think about it," Hiccup replied, "Isla and this Viking guy were in love, right?"

"Aye, supposedly," Merida replied, "well…at least Isla was in love. My mum believes that th' Viking lad was only lying to her."

"But what if he wasn't lying to Isla though," Hiccup replied, "what if the whole invasion thing was just some kind of a…a set up?"

"A set up," Merida replied questioningly.

"Think about it," Hiccup replied, "Isla goes off to tell her lover that it's over because she is betrothed. But instead of saying goodbye, the two of them come up with a plan to run away together. And then as the invasion happens, Isla sneaks off to find her love and they head off into the sunset to live happily ever after." Merida raised an eyebrow at Hiccup as she gazed back at him dubiously.

"What…it's possible," Hiccup replied with a shrug.

"So ye think my Aunt Isla knowingly left her home in th' middle of an invasion," Merida replied flatly, "that she just abandoned her family n' her little sister tae a clan o' raiders, while th' village she grew up in was all but burned tae th' ground, all just so she could run off with th' man she loved."

"Uh…well when you put it like that it really does sound less plausible," Hiccup replied as he rubbed the back of his neck, "but you never know what people might do for love…or what they are capable of if they're desperate enough." Merida nodded as she thought over his reasoning. He did make a good point, but that didn't change the heartbreaking reality of what had truly happened to Isla.

"I wish that were the case," Merida groaned as she stood up and began to pace in front of Hiccup. She sighed heavily before continuing, "I wish that Isla had just betrayed her family and ran off to live happily ever after." She sighed once more as she turned her eyes to the ground. Hiccup sat forward as he gazed up at her in sympathy.

"So, it's worse than we thought…huh," Hiccup said cautiously. Merida paused as she turned her eyes to the roof of the cave, with a look of hopelessness upon her face.

"Aye, much worse," Merida replied solemnly as she turned her eyes back to him, "when th' invasion began, Isla n' my mum ran to hide from th' Vikings, but one ruthless raider chased them down to th' barn they were hidin' in. Isla knew that th' Viking wouldn't give up, so she told mum to hide in th' loft, then she tried to distract th' Viking away from her."

"She…. sacrificed herself for your mom," Hiccup replied in realization. Merida nodded.

"Aye…but nae before my mum witnessed everything that evil Viking did tae Isla," Merida replied tearfully, "he beat her, she tried to fight him off, but he was stronger n' he tried tae… tae…force her tae…." Merida could not bring herself to voice anymore of the horrible details, but she didn't have to continue, Hiccup already knew what she couldn't say. He stood quickly and pulled her into his arms. Merida laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes as she focused on the soothing sound of his beating heart.

"He probably would have hurt her worse, but th' Viking lad interrupted," Merida continued. Hiccup pulled back and gazed at her curiously.

"Wait, so… you're saying, the Viking that Isla was in love with stopped his clansmen from hurting her further," Hiccup questioned. Merida nodded as she lifted her head to look up at him.

"Aye," she replied, "but not exactly. It turns out, th' Viking that hurt Isla was also the leader of the invaders. He ordered th' lad to tie Isla up n' take her to his longship. My mother recognized him as the lad from the woods n' she watched helplessly as he tied Isla up and dragged her away on his captain's orders."

Hiccup sighed heavily as Merida continued her story. She was right, it was worse than they had anticipated, much worse. Hiccup remained quiet as he held Merida tightly in his arms. He had no words to express his sorrow for what had happened to her aunt. But now the reason for the queen's animosity toward his kind was startlingly apparent. She'd not only witnessed the physical assault of her sister, but also Isla's heartbreaking betrayal at the hands of the Viking she had mistakenly trusted. She'd seen the violence and treachery of those Vikings firsthand. It seemed the queen was still grappling with the trauma of what she had witnessed as a young girl. It haunted her and was the very reason she had kept Merida close and taught her daughter to fear all Vikings. It was the very reason the queen was so certain that the Berkan Vikings were rightfully banished, and why she believed that Hiccup the first had betrayed Mairead. The queen had been through something terrible, she had seen evil things that no child should ever witness. Her opinion of Vikings had been forged in heartache and fear and Hiccup knew that it was going to be very difficult to change her mind. Despite this, he remained determined to try.

"My mum thinks that th' Vikings came specifically for Isla that night," Merida continued, "because she was betrothed to th' future king. She believes that th' Vikings were going to try to use Isla as some sort of a bargaining chip to force the king's hand." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment.

"Did the invaders send a list of demands," Hiccup questioned. Merida shook her head.

"They waited for that," Merida replied, "but it never came. Mum believes that something must've happened to muck up th' Vikings' plans. She is certain that Isla died before they could use her…or maybe she tried to escape and was killed for it. Either way, th' demands never came n' after searchin' near two years they never found any sign o' Isla. It…it was as if she just dropped off th' face o' th' earth."

Hiccup furrowed his brow as he pondered her words. He began to wonder if perhaps his first thoughts about Isla and the Viking lad were not so far off. Maybe the Viking didn't truly betray her, maybe the betrayal itself was the ruse. Perhaps there had been no way to stop the invasion. If the Northern Invaders had truly come for Isla specifically, then maybe the Viking lad had done what he had to to keep her safe. Perhaps they had chosen the path of least resistance until the opportunity arose to escape. Maybe that's why the Northern invaders' demands never came, and why no sign of Isla ever turned up.

"How can she be so certain that Isla died," Hiccup questioned, "what if she really did escape?" Merida shook her head as she looked up at him with tear-rimmed eyes.

"Mum is convinced that if Isla had survived, she would have found her way home to her family," Merida replied, "that she would never have willingly abandoned them. But Isla never returned." Hiccup nodded in understanding, though he wasn't fully convinced. He gazed back at her sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry that happened," Hiccup replied. Merida smiled weakly in appreciation of his sympathy. She pulled away from him as she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Me to," she replied, "but I'm afraid now that my mother will never see beyond her past. I…I understand why she feels as she does about Vikings, and I dinnae blame her, but what does that mean for ye…. for us… or even our case for Berk?" She turned her back on him as she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed heavily in frustration. Hiccup nodded in understanding as he gazed upon her. He took a few steps forward and gently laid his hands upon her shoulders. Merida leaned back against him, as she found comfort in his gentle touch.

"Look, I know Isla's story is discouraging," Hiccup replied, "but there is no reason for you and I to lose hope. We can still change things for the better Merida." Merida shook her head disbelievingly as he spoke. She abruptly pulled away from him once more and turned to face him, the worry still clearly evident on her face.

"Don't ye see Hiccup," Merida replied, "my mum taught me as she did about Vikings because of Isla. Isla's story is just like mine! She met a Viking in the woods, and she fell in love with him, just like me! It's like ye said, my mum has always been afraid that she'd lose me like she lost Isla. Now my predicament is nearly the same as Isla's. When we go to her, she won't see ye for who ye are…. she'll see ye as that Viking lad who betrayed Isla a-and took her away!" Hiccup felt his heart drop with her all too familiar argument. It seemed as if they were continuing to go in circles around the same dilemma, and no matter what he said, Merida continued to back pedal. He sighed heavily in dismay as he shook his head. He was growing frustrated with Merida over her seemingly ongoing reluctance to go forward with their plan.

"But I'm not him Merida," Hiccup replied in defense, "our situation is similar, but it's not the same. He betrayed Isla. I would never do that to you…. you know that."

"Aye, I know that," Merida agreed, "but my mother doesn't."

"And whose fault is that Merida," Hiccup huffed, "you don't even want to tell her that you've made your choice, or that you and I are together, let alone that I exist! The only reason she doesn't know, is because you won't tell her!"

Merida's heart flinched slightly with Hiccup's frustrated words. She crossed her arms over her chest as she dropped her eyes from his once again. She remained silent in the wake of his outburst. Hiccup was right of course, she'd had the perfect opportunity to come clean with her mother during their conversation, but she still had chosen to remain silent. It was with good reason she had chosen to withhold the truth from her mother, she was trying to protect Hiccup, to protect their relationship, but now she was second guessing her decision. Hiccup sighed heavily as he gazed back at her in remorse.

"Look, I…I'm sorry," Hiccup replied apologetically, "I know why you're worried, and I don't blame you... you're right to be worried. But nothing will ever change if we don't take a leap of faith. I don't intend to sneak around in the shadows forever, worried that your mom will never change. The best way to show her that I'm different is to follow through with our plan. You know that I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself to her Merida…I promise."

"I know ye will," Merida replied softly as she dropped her hands at her sides, "and I know that yer right…I do... I'm just so afraid tae lose ye Hiccup… especially after today." Hiccup nodded as he continued to gaze at her in concern.

"I understand how you feel Merida," Hiccup replied, "believe me…I have the same fears as you do, but we can't let fear stop us from trying. Now…I need you to trust me, okay. I need you to trust that you and I can do this together."

"I do trust ye, Hiccup," Merida replied, "I trust ye with my whole heart. But I…I can't shake this feeling that history is just repeatin' itself. My nana lost her love because he was a Viking, aunt Isla was lost because she fell in love with a Viking. Every-time it ends the same…in loss a-and heartbreak!" She dropped her eyes from his then turned and walked a few paces deeper into the cave. Hiccup watched her solemnly for a long moment before following after her. He watched as she slunk down upon the ground leaning her back up against the wall of the cave. She sighed heavily as she wrapped her arms around her knees. She seemed to be lost in deep thought over all she had told him. She looked up at him after a few moments.

"My greatest fear," Merida said emotionally as she placed her hand over her heart, "is that, despite all our efforts, ye and I are doomed to follow th' same path." She turned her eyes from his as she tried to stop her tears from falling but to no avail. Hiccup felt his heart flinch as she voiced her fears. Despite everything they had been through, everything they had discussed…it seemed her fears were still holding her back. As he thought about what she had said, his mind drifted back to the dark and near heartbreaking feelings that he had experienced in Adag earlier and the looming feeling of dread when he briefly thought that those feelings could possibly be some sort of dire premonition. Try as he might, he had not been able to banish the foreboding feelings completely and he began to wonder if Merida's continuing fears might be a similar phenomenon. Hiccup remained quiet for a long moment as he pondered the very ominous implications of such a notion. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and he certainly didn't want to bring it up to Merida in her current state of mind. As worrisome as the thought was, Hiccup would not allow it to hinder their plans. He was still determined that he and Merida could overcome whatever hurdles might stand in their way. He tried his best to push the worries to the back of his mind as he turned his eyes back to her. He slowly knelt down before her. He reached out and gently wiped a single tear from her cheek with his thumb. He then placed his fingers under her chin and gently lifted her head to look into her watery blue eyes. He gazed at her with a determined expression upon his face.

"Then let's take a different path," Hiccup said simply. Merida furrowed her brow at his comment.

"In every scenario you just mentioned, they kept their love a secret," Hiccup explained, "but maybe staying hidden is what doomed them in the first place. We don't have to follow the same path Merida, we can make our own path. Maybe that's why our dreams are showing us things from the past too…so we can learn from it, rather than repeat it."

"It's not that simple Hiccup," Merida replied, "what difference will it make which path we chose, if the world doesn't accept us?"

"Please…you are talking to the guy who ended a nearly three hundred year war between Vikings and dragons," Hiccup replied haughtily, "can you at least try to have a little faith in me." Merida chuckled slightly, despite her tears. Hiccup smiled back at her warmly as he moved to sit beside her. He gently took her hand in his and and squeezed it gently in reassurance as he gazed into her pale blue eyes.

"We can change things for the better for both our people Merida," Hiccup went on, "we can make a difference. But we have to be willing to jump in with both feet…or…uh...four feet rather, ya know…because there's two of us." Merida smiled slightly at his comment.

"Technically it's only three feet," Merida replied, "three feet and one hook." Hiccup snickered at her words.

"Okay…., did you seriously just call my leg a hook," Hiccup questioned flatly.

"What…," Merida replied defensively as she motioned toward his false leg, "it's metal n' it has a curved part at th' end…it looks like a hook."

"It's not a hook," he replied in mock offense, "it's a prosthetic limb. Calling it a hook is just rude…not to mention incredibly insensitive. Do you know how long it took me to get this thing just right; how many prototypes I went through to get the perfect design? I worked tirelessly for months on this leg to get it as close to the real thing as possible…and you're just gonna call it a hook! What's wrong with you? Merida chuckled.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Merida replied with a laugh, "it's not a hook."

"Thank you," Hiccup replied with an amused smile. As their laughter subsided, he continued to gaze at her lovingly. Merida leaned her head upon his shoulder as she gazed at their clasped hands. Words could not describe just how much she loved him, nor how grateful she was to have him by her side. Despite all her worries and concerns, the knowledge that he loved her equally and without limit was enough in this moment.

"Seriously though Merida," Hiccup said softly, "I get why you're afraid, I really do, but we can't live in fear. We need to show Dunbroch and Berk that both our peoples will be better together…and you and I can lead by example. But we can't do that unless we take the first step." Merida nodded against his shoulder in agreement.

"Well….I did sort of take a half step," Merida replied as she glanced up at him, "I mean, uh…I didn't tell mum anything about ye or us yet, but ye should be happy to know that I did tell her most o' what we've learned about our mystery thus far….as well as our theories about Berk. I also told her about th' will o' th' wisp leadin' me tae my great great nana's journal."

"Well…that's a start at least," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "what did she say about all of that?"

"She didn't say much," Merida replied, "but she seemed surprised that after all she had told me about Isla n' th' Northern invaders, that I still believe in Berk's innocence. She still remains skeptical, but I told her that fate was leadin' me tae find th' truth n' that I wilnae stop until I find it." Hiccup smiled slightly as she spoke.

"Maybe that's a good thing," Hiccup suggested, "maybe your determination to find the truth will be just what we need to help sway her opinion in our favor, or…at least convince her to keep an opened mind about Berk." Merida nodded as she thought over his statement.

"I hope so," Merida sighed. Hiccup leaned toward her, gently resting his cheek upon her soft red curls. He gazed down at her with a hopeful smile.

"So… we're still good with the plan then….right," Hiccup questioned. Merida nodded against his shoulder.

"Aye," Merida replied softly, "we come forward tomorrow…just as planned." Hiccup grinned as he leaned toward her and kissed her softly upon the cheek.

"Everything is going to work out," Hiccup replied confidently, "this is a step in the right direction…you'll see."

"I really hope yer right," she replied. Hiccup sighed as he released her hand. He smiled down on her lovingly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her closer to him. She turned toward him, pressing herself closer to him, and nestling her cheek comfortably upon his chest. She then wrapped her arm around his middle careful not to irritate his wound. Hiccup sighed softly in content as he bent down and kissed her softly atop her head. His heart felt full as he held her close.

"You know…I don't know what I'd do without you," Hiccup whispered softly. Merida smiled at his words.

"N' God willin', ye'll ne'er have tae find oot," Merida replied. Hiccup chuckled slightly at her words.

"Aye," he replied, poorly impersonating her accent, "God willin'." Merida smiled up at him in amusement.

"Aye, that wis nae half bad," she replied with a grin.

"What can I say," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "I have the best Scottish teacher in all of Dunbroch."

"Oh, do ye now," Merida questioned in amusement. Hiccup nodded playfully.

"Oh yeah," Hiccup replied, "she's taught me a whole multitude of your crazy words, how to pronounce them correctly, how to use them in a sentence properly." Merida furrowed her brow as he spoke.

"Not to mention, she is really into oral motor skill exercises," Hiccup replied slyly, "I mean, she's taught me things to do with my tongue that you wouldn't believe." Merida couldn't help but to laugh at his comment.

"Perhaps we should introduce your Scottish teacher to my kissing mentor," Merida replied as she raised an eyebrow at him playfully, "I have a feeling they might just get along famously." Hiccup smirked at her comment.

"That's not a bad idea actually," Hiccup replied mischievously, "maybe she could give your kissing mentor some decent pointers that he could use to help you get better at this whole kissing thing." Merida rolled her eyes and groaned. Hiccup chuckled at her response.

"Or, if you want, you could just... forget the kissing mentor... and I can show you myself," Hiccup said as he leaned down toward her. Merida laughed as she backed away, pressing her hands upon his chest to prevent him from coming closer.

"Hiccup," Merida chuckled, "is kissin' th' only thought in yer heid?"

"Uh...Yeah," Hiccup replied as if it were a commonly known fact.

"Yer a completely hopeless man Hiccup," Merida playfully groaned, "ye know that…right." Hiccup chuckled as he leaned away from her.

"Hey... can you blame me Merida," Hiccup replied with a grin, "ever since our first kiss, it's literally all I can think about. It certainly doesn't help that you're so damn good at it either. It's a wonder to me that you've never kissed anyone else before me."

"Well," Merida sighed apologetically, "that's nae... technically true." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her questioningly.

"What," Hiccup replied flatly, "what do you mean? Are you…. are you saying I... I wasn't your first kiss?"

"What's the big deal," Merida replied, "I wasn't yer first kiss either."

"Yeah…. well …. that was different," Hiccup replied quickly.

"How," Merida questioned indignantly.

"For one…I was in love with Astrid….o-or a-at least I thought I was at the time," Hiccup replied, "a-and y-you told me that you were never in love before."

"What does love have tae dae wit' an'thing," Merida huffed.

"I… I… I don't… know," Hiccup stammered. They remained quiet for a moment, glaring at each other in jest.

"Well…. if it makes ye feel any better,…ye were my first true kiss," Merida replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders, "th' other dinnae mean an'thing."

"Who was he," Hiccup questioned haughtily.

"What does it matter who," Merida questioned in both annoyance and amusement, "do ye nae believe me?"

"Indulge me," Hiccup replied. Merida rolled her eyes as she pulled away from him slightly.

"It…it was Ryan Macintosh if ye must know," Merida replied as she crossed her arms over her chest, "son o' Lord Macintosh o' our neighborin' clan." Hiccup raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You kissed one the Lords' sons," Hiccup exclaimed.

"As I said, tis really nae that big a deal," Merida replied dismissively.

"Not a big deal," Hiccup replied, "of course it's a big deal...you already kissed one of the suitors that are coming to court you, how is that not a big deal?"

"I told ye," Merida huffed, "it meant nothin' tae me."

"Nothing to you maybe," Hiccup replied, "but if you kissed him the way you kiss me, I doubt it meant nothing to him."

"That is completely ridiculous," Merida replied flatly.

"You didn't use your tongue, did you?" Hiccup questioned. Merida glared at him.

"You did, didn't you," Hiccup playfully lamented, "oh... our entire relationship is built on a lie!"

"A lie!... Hiccup dae ye even hear yer self," Merida chuckled, "yer bein' ridiculous!"

"Is he handsomer than me," Hiccup questioned.

"Hiccup," Merida grumbled.

"He is, isn't he," Hiccup continued, "he's probably more muscular than me too right... and he's got two real legs doesn't he."

"Hiccup," Merida chuckled

"I'll bet he does the smolder thing too," Hiccup went on.

"Smolder," Merida questioned in amusement.

"Yeah, ya know," Hiccup replied, "it's that suave, yet smug face guys make when they're trying to impress a girl. Allthe overly confident, handsome guys who think their God's gift to women do it." Merida raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, if that's true than he must do it," Merida replied sarcastically, "Ryan Macintosh is one o' th' most overly confident, self-righteous jerks I've ever met!" Hiccup furrowed his brow at her.

"Well, if he's such a jerk, why did you kiss him in the first place?" Hiccup questioned flatly.

"I didn't," Merida replied firmly, "he kissed me first, n' I…. I punched him square in th' jaw fur it after." She smirked slightly at him. Hiccup blinked in dumbfounded silence for just a moment before he burst into laughter at her explanation.

"For real," he questioned amidst his laughter. Merida nodded with a proud smile on her face.

"He deserved it as far as I'm concerned," Merida replied with a grin, "n' for yer information, I did nae use my tongue... though he practically shoved his down my throat." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her once more.

"What," Hiccup exclaimed, "how old were you?"

"A few months shy o' fifteen," Merida replied, "and he was sixteen."

"That prick," Hiccup huffed. Merida giggled at his words. Hiccup grinned back at her.

"When did ye first kiss Astrid," Merida questioned as she raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"We were both fifteen," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "and she kissed me first."

"Is that so," Merida replied. Hiccup nodded with an amused grin.

"I had a major crush on her," Hiccup replied, "but I was far too insecure to make the first move. And honestly, up until that point, I thought she hated me." Merida furrowed her brow at his words.

"Why did ye think that she hated ye," Merida questioned.

"Uh...well...I guess it...it's just her personality," Hiccup replied, "Astrid has never been a very expressive person, ya know. She's not typically one to be very open about her feelings, unless of course, those feelings are anger...or annoyance. Back then it seemed like she was almost always annoyed with me. I never really knew where I stood with her, until the day she kissed me. Turns out if she's annoyed with you, she actually likes you." Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"She sounds interesting," Merida replied, Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"So, how is it ye weren't too insecure to make th' first move with me," Merida questioned as she raised an eyebrow back at him. Hiccup smiled warmly at her query.

"Well, I suppose I had a good feeling about you from the start princess," Hiccup replied with a grin, "and…I don't know, it was…it was just different with you. I…I never really questioned that you liked me." Merida smiled warmly at his comment as she lay her head upon his shoulder once more.

"Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I wasn't still insanely nervous to make a move," Hiccup continued, "I knew that you liked me…but I still wasn't like a hundred percent sure that you felt at all like I did about you. And you know what, I was right to be nervous, because when I finally did muster up the courage to tell you, and I pretty much laid it all on the line… you still completely blew me off!"

"I did no such thing," Merida replied indignantly.

"Uh…yeah, ya did," Hiccup chuckled, "not only did you pull away immediately after I kissed you, but then, after I practically poured my heart out, you just stood there and didn't say anything." Merida sat up quickly and turned to face him.

"I told ye, ye caught me off guard," Merida replied defensively, "up until that point, I….. I thought ye were still hung up on Astrid. Not tae mention I was still tryin' tae work oot' my own feelings as well!" Hiccup chuckled lightly as she defended herself.

"Well," Hiccup sighed, "I suppose your reaction could have been a lot worse, considering that I did kiss you without asking. I guess I should be thankful that I didn't get a broken jaw." Merida chuckled at his words, causing Hiccup's heart to flutter.

"It was different with ye as well," Merida replied, "unlike Ryan, I actually wanted ye tae kiss me." Hiccup leaned forward with a loving smile, taking her hand in his once more and gently interlocking their fingers.

"Is that so," he questioned as he raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. Merida nodded as she smiled up at him.

"Ya know, before that day in the glen, there were so many times that I wanted to kiss you too," Hiccup confessed, "there were so many times I wanted to tell you how I was feeling. But, at the time, you never seemed to notice really, and I thought that was because you didn't feel anything more than friendship for me."

"Of course I noticed," Merida replied, "I noticed every time, n' every time I wished that ye would kiss me, o' at least give me some hint as tae how ye truly felt so I'd know where I stood. But almost every time ye pulled away o' changed th' subject. I started tae feel like it was all in my head. Then after ye poured yer heart out aboot' Astrid… I just figured it was all for naught. I resigned myself tae th' fact that ye'd never feel as I did. Needless tae say, when ye did kiss me, I was completely surprised, n' I didnae know what tae do."

Hiccup nodded as he thought over her statement. He smiled slightly to himself as he recalled every instance that he'd second-guessed himself, every moment that he'd felt the urge to kiss her or tell her how he felt, but held back due to his fear. Who knew that in every instance she had been secretly pining for him as well. Still, he felt remorseful that his indecisiveness had inadvertently caused her to doubt her own feelings.

"Ya know, if I'd have known that you felt that way at the time," Hiccup replied with a grin, "I probably wouldn't have hesitated."

"Aye, yer nae th' only one who hesitated," Merida replied, "I could have just told ye how I felt instead o' waitin' on ye tae notice. But I was afraid that I'd frighten ye off if ye did nae feel th' same." Hiccup grinned at her admission.

"That wouldn't have happened," Hiccup said assuredly, "ever since I met you, all I've wanted is to just…be around you all the time. You make me happy Merida, happier than I've been in a really long time. I don't think anything could scare me off." He raised an eyebrow at her and smiled as he spoke. Merida smiled warmly in return.

"And it's not that I didn't notice, by the way," Hiccup continued, "I just…" He paused a moment as he tried to find the right words to explain, "I… I was overthinking everything and constantly second guessing myself, a-and the more I thought about it, the more afraid I was, so I hesitated."

"Ye were afraid o' love " Merida said knowingly.

"Yes," Hiccup admitted, "I was afraid to take a chance again, I was afraid

that I'd get hurt again, or worse….that I'd screw it all up somehow and hurt you." Merida remained quiet as she thought over his words.

"But I was also afraid that I was… misreading the situation between us," Hiccup continued, "to be perfectly honest, at the time, I didn't really think that you would ever go for a guy like me. So, I tried not to get my hopes up too much….just in case." Merida furrowed her brow at his comment.

"How could ye think that I would ne'er go for ye," Merida questioned with a bright smile. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her question.

"I don't know if you've noticed princess," Hiccup replied with a smirk, "but you are just a tad out of my league. I mean, let's face it, I'm not exactly prince charming or anything."

"Hiccup," Merida huffed, "how fur could ye say such a glaikit thing aboot yerself? And what exactly is so special about Prince Charming anyway? What's he have that ye don't?"

"Oh I don't know," Hiccup replied flatly, "looks, muscles, title, charm." Merida raised an eyebrow as she gazed up at him.

"Uh….ye have all those things Hiccup," Merida replied matter of factly, "and more." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he gazed back at her doubtfully.

"Really," he questioned flatly.

"Well…maybe not so much th' charm," Merida replied, "but what ye lack in charm ye make up for in… heart…and…uh, a-adorable… awkwardness." Hiccup gazed back at Merida deadpan, causing her to giggle slightly in spite of herself.

"While I appreciate the sentiment," Hiccup replied flatly "I think that your opinion might be…oh, I don't know …just a tad biased."

"Tis not biased," Merida replied dismissively, "I'm sure plenty o' people know how adorably awkward ye are." She moved forward and kissed him lightly upon the cheek as she spoke, causing him to smile warmly.

"But if ye really want my biased opinion," Merida continued, "Prince Charming could ne'er hold a candle tae ye." Hiccup sighed as he rolled his eyes playfully. Merida smiled warmly up at him with her perfect blue eyes. He felt his heart flutter as he grinned back at her.

"You're right, that is biased," he replied flatly, "completely, a hundred percent biased." Merida could not stop the laugh that escaped her lips with Hiccup's words. The sound caused his heart to flutter and he squeezed her hand gently in his as he leaned a little closer to her. As Merida's laughter subsided she continued to smile up at him lovingly. He gazed back at her with a look of longing in his intense green eyes that caused Merida's breath to hitch slightly.

"Well…all things considered, I…I'm really glad we both took a chance eventually," Hiccup said with a shrug. Merida blushed at his heartfelt words.

"Me too," Merida said as she continued to smile sweetly up at him. Hiccup grinned warmly back at her. He sighed as he leaned back against the cave wall, his warm smile turning to a mischievous grin.

"Ya know," Hiccup sighed, "all that talk of kissing earlier is really making me want one." He raised an eyebrow at her as he spoke.

"Ye ne'er give up, do ye," Merida replied with an amused grin.

"Never when it comes to you princess," Hiccup smirked. Merida rolled her eyes, but the blush on her face was clearly evident.

"Come on," Hiccup replied with a persuasive smile, "how do you expect me to get any rest when all I can think about is kissing you?"

"Oh... so, yer sayin' it's all my fault that ye didnae even attempt tae rest," Merida replied flatly. Hiccup shrugged.

"I mean if the shoe fits," Hiccup replied sarcastically.

"Hiccup," she cried out indignantly as she playfully smacked him on the arm. Hiccup chuckled at her reaction.

"Come on," he urged, "I'm just asking for one little…tiny kiss." He held up his thumb and index finger for effect. Merida crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. Hiccup gazed back at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Oh alright," Merida sighed as she leaned toward him; but she was stopped as Hiccup placed his finger on her lips preventing her from coming any closer. She looked at him questioningly.

"This time...I suggest you keep your tongue to yourself princess," Hiccup said smugly, "as that would most definitely negate the goal of getting rest." Merida shot him an amused smirk, causing Hiccup to chuckle. She abruptly pulled away from him and crossed her arms over her chest once more. She sat on her knees in front of him.

"I wasn't aware beggars could be choosers," she replied flatly.

"Alright fine," Hiccup sighed in mock resignation, "you can use your tongue if you really want to...but don't say I didn't warn you." He raised an eyebrow as he gazed back at her with a flirtatious smile. Merida furrowed her brow as she leaned away from him.

"Warn me," she questioned in amusement, "warn me o' what exactly?" Hiccup smiled as he leaned closer to her. He continued to gaze longingly into her sky-blue eyes.

"When you kiss me like that," he replied huskily, "it makes my heart race...and I probably won't want to stop afterward. Which, as I said, ...would make the idea of rest a moot concept. And as you keep reminding me, the lack of rest could upset my wounds." He smiled at her smugly. Merida could feel her face flush with his suggestive words, and her pulse begin to race. Hiccup smiled warmly at the sight of her blush. She smirked back at him.

"Is that so," Merida replied airily. Hiccup smiled playfully as he nodded in reply.

Without another word Merida leaned forward slightly upon her knees. He kept his eyes locked with hers as he followed suit, his hands somehow managing to find her waist as they inched closer together. He tried desperately to maintain his coolness as he gazed back at her with a playful smirk still on his face, but inside, his heart was pounding in his chest, and he could barely maintain his composure.

Merida leaned toward him slowly, until their lips nearly touched, her sparkling blue eyes never leaving his. She reached up slowly resting her delicate hand upon his chest, her nimble fingers gently toying with the collar of his tunic. She was so close that her nose lightly brushed up against his. Hiccup's heart fluttered at their intimate proximity, and he could feel chills go down his spine as he silently anticipated the feel of her soft lips on his. But, just as before, she made him wait. On pins and needles he sat before her, sweetly suffering, as he patiently awaited her next move.

"In that case," Merida whispered, "maybe we should just... forget th' whole thing...I wouldn't wantae be th' cause o' yer sufferin'." Her flirtatious innuendo caused Hiccup's heart to nearly burst and a feeling like lightning rushed through his veins. He could feel the warmth from her breath on his face as she spoke, which caused his lips to tingle hungrily. He silently wracked his brain for a witty comeback, but he could only focus on her lips hovering just above his own, and the nearly overwhelming urge to close the minuscule gap between them. He gulped slightly as he tried to resist.

"You...uh...I…I mean uh," he stumbled on his words, much to her amusement. Hiccup had not often been one to be at a loss for words, he was known quite well for his sarcasm and witty responses, but somehow, she had turned the tables on him. In one fell swoop, she had stolen the upper hand, leaving him utterly speechless and completely at her mercy. In Merida he had clearly met his match, as far as wit was concerned.

She leaned forward the rest of the way, her hands coming to rest on his chest, her fingers once again gripping the collar of his tunic as she gently pressed her lips to his cheek just at the corner of his mouth. Hiccup's heart nearly burst at the feel of her delicate hands on his chest and her lips on his cheek. Slowly he released a breath that, up until that point, he had not even been aware that he was holding. Once again, he could feel warmth fill his body from head to toe as she slowly moved her lips upon his skin. She kissed him softly along his jaw as she had done so earlier, but this time slowly and purposefully. Just as before, her touch caused his pulse to quicken, and his skin tingled in every place her lips touched. God, how he wanted her, and it seemed to be getting harder and harder to hold back.

"I... I take it back," Hiccup stammered as he gazed at her earnestly with a sideways grin upon his face, "you are... absolutely no help at all when it comes to rest."

"Hiccup," Merida giggled. She pulled away from him slightly and gazed at him with a jovial smile that nearly melted his heart. He leaned toward her slowly, reaching for her waist once more to pull her back to him, as if the subtle increased space between them was far too much for his liking. As he gazed at her, he found himself practically mesmerized by the sight of her pale blue eyes that sparkled like the facets of a jewel in the dim light of the campfire. Hiccup was in awe of her. He had no words for how she made him feel, nor how deeply his love for her had grown. She was everything to him, She, was perfect and could have probably had her pick of any man in Dunbroch, and yet still she had chosen to give her heart to him.

"I'm serious," Hiccup whispered with a wistful smile, "I... I can't even think straight." He reached up slowly brushing a rogue curl behind her ear. She shivered slightly as his rough fingertips lightly grazed her smooth skin. His hand came to rest on her pale freckled cheek as he continued to gaze at her with an intense look of longing emanating from his deep green eyes. She tilted her head slightly as she leaned into his touch, keeping her eyes locked with his. She held her breath as she gazed back at him. Though she knew now, without question, that his love for her was true, his intense gaze still made her nervous. As she became lost in his forest-colored orbs, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest and a torrent of butterflies in her stomach. She nervously bit the corner of her lower lip as she gazed back at him, ardently awaiting his actions.

Hiccup leaned forward slightly, allowing the tip of his nose to just barely brush up against hers once more. The simple touch caused her to shiver lightly and her breath to hitch. Only moments ago, she'd had him on tenterhooks as he eagerly awaited the touch of her lips. She'd held out purposely, fully enjoying the power her touch seemed to have over him; power that he freely gave. But now she sat before him in the wake of his touch, caught in the undertow of her own desire and practically drowning as she awaited his lips to save her.

"You drive me completely crazy…. you know that right," Hiccup whispered huskily. Merida leaned toward him further, gently resting her forehead against his. She smiled warmly; her cheeks still flushed a lovely light pink.

"Mmm…maybe," she replied playfully. Hiccup chuckled lightly at her answer. He smiled warmly as he slowly inched ever closer, his fingers moving through her tangled curls until his hand was gently cupping the back of her head.

"You enjoy it… don't you," he whispered practically against her lips. Merida's heart was beating uncontrollably, as she continued to hold her breath in anticipation. His grin widened when he heard her gulp.

"What's that," she whispered back trying her best to remain unmoved. Her blue eyes remained locked on his, unblinking as she gazed at him earnestly, still pinching her bottom lip lightly in her teeth; her cheeks a deep rosy hue.

"Driving me crazy," Hiccup replied, as he inched closer.

"Maybe," she replied in a whisper so soft that he might not have heard her answer at all if he hadn't been so close.

Slowly he placed his other hand upon her opposite cheek. Gently he guided her forward as he closed what minuscule distance was left between them. Softly, and gently he pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss nearly as chaste as their first. Closing their eyes, they became lost in the moment. His lips moved slowly against hers, as if he were savoring every second. All of their flirtatious banter had led up to this moment, and he longed only to make it last as long as possible. Merida's spine tingled the moment their lips met, and she leaned against him eagerly.

But slowly, and to her dismay, he pulled his lips from hers. Merida continued to lean toward him, still pining for more, almost as if she were lost in his absence. He continued to gaze at her through half-lidded eyes, licking his lips as if he could still taste what hers had left behind. As anticipated as it was, their sweetly extended kiss did little to satisfy their desire, instead it served to open the flood gates that had been holding them back.

With barely a moment's hesitation, Hiccup leaned forward suddenly, capturing her lips in a passion-filled kiss. He dropped his hands from her face and slowly snaked his arms around her body, tightening them around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Merida all but melted in his arms. His lips parted slightly, and his tongue ever so gently caressed her lips, as if humbly imploring them for entry. Merida freely relented, her tongue eagerly meeting his. Both of their pulses raced as their tongues and lips became entangled, each ardently exploring the other. Merida let out a soft moan as she gave into him. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing herself as close to him as was physically possible. The soft sound of her moan seemed to embolden Hiccup and his kiss became more fervent than before. He could feel her delicate fingers moving through his hair which caused a flurry of chills down his spine. He gently ran his hands up and down her back causing her to shiver in his arms, his fingers gently twirling through the long tendrils of her curly red locks. He was drowning in her, drowning in his love and passion, and pure desire.

All he could think of at this moment was her; her soft pale skin, her warm arms, the taste of her soft, pink, pouty lips, the way her wild red hair fell all around her, her pale blue eyes that nearly pierced his soul. Nearly everything about her was intoxicating to him, and he felt almost as if she were bombarding his senses, filling up every facet of his being, sweetly suffocating him with his own desire. He could feel his body reacting to their closeness and he could not stop his mind from imagining them together in ways they had yet to be. He could almost see their bodies entangled in one another, as fervently as their lips were now. He saw himself touching her and kissing her, his hands and lips in places he still had yet to see. Hiccup was not usually so bold in his musings, but the deep, almost carnal desire she elicited in him seemed to take over his every thought.

As his desires overwhelmed him, Hiccup reluctantly pulled back from her only slightly, his lips still pressed against hers as if dreading the impending separation. He tried desperately to get his feelings under control, to pull his thoughts away from his ardent fantasy. It was not the time nor the place for such reverie. He wanted her, there was no question, but they had only just begun their journey together, and that was a place they were simply not yet ready to explore. But his strong desire also felt almost eerily familiar, it was as if it were a place they had been to before. He was taken aback by the feeling of his amorous familiarity. It almost felt as if his body somehow held an intimate knowledge of hers. It was impossible to describe nor explain. It was as if her heart and body were the home he had lost and long forgotten, a home that he had finally found after years of wandering, a home he longed now to reclaim.

Slowly and reluctantly, he pulled his lips from hers completely, though the tingling sensation from their heated kiss remained. He smiled wistfully, keeping his green eyes locked with hers. His face felt hot, and he was sure that his cheeks were most likely as red as her hair. He didn't know how it was possible that this beautiful woman before him had somehow taken over his heart so completely. He found himself breathless at the sight of her blue eyes, which were brimming with a longing desire that seemed to nearly rival his own. Her pale freckled cheeks were equally flushed, and she nervously bit her bottom lip once again, as she gazed back at him. The action only served to draw his attention back to her lips, and he silently fought the urge to return to them once more. He shifted his eyes back to her blue ones which seemed to reflect his own sentiments. His heart fluttered at the idea that she could want him just as much as he wanted her.

"You're all I ever wanted," Hiccup whispered huskily. Merida smiled warmly at his words. "I...I've never felt like this before," Hiccup went on, "I've never wanted someone so much before. But it...it's so strange, it... it feels so familiar, it's almost like I… like I've been here with you before, I…I don't even know how to describe it." Merida leaned forward once again, resting her forehead against his as she gazed back at him.

"Ye dinnae have to," Merida whispered back as she placed her hand over her heart, "I can feel it too. It…it's a feeling unlike any other, yet familiar somehow…. It's like I… I know ye inside and out. It…it's like I'm home with ye." Hiccup pulled back from her practically in awe. It was as if she had voiced the thoughts and feelings he had not spoken. He reached for her hands once more, gently interlocking their fingers as before. He smiled as he gazed back at her lovingly. Without another word he leaned forward once more, pressing his lips to her's in a swift kiss.

"I am so…*kiss*…. completely…*kiss*... and utterly…. *kiss*… and hopelessly…. *kiss*... in love with you," he said between kisses. Merida felt her heart flutter with his words. She pulled back from him slightly, her blue eyes once again meeting his longing gaze. She reached up slowly, resting her hand upon his stubbled cheek; as she gently ran her thumb along the side of his lips. Hiccup leaned into her touch as he reached up and covered her hand with his. The feel of her delicate hand beneath his made him tremble slightly as he continued to gaze at her longingly.

It struck him suddenly, that this moment was somewhat reminiscent of another he'd experienced in the dream which had started all of this. He vividly remembered Mairead's hand upon his face, and his hand upon hers, while he silently resisted the urge to kiss her. Except now he knew that somehow the woman in his dream whose face remained obscured was and had always been Merida. Though he had no proof, and evidence was lacking, in his heart he knew it could not be a coincidence.

He was more certain than ever that somehow their dreams had been guiding them not only to each other, but to each and every moment they had since shared. And yet, at the same time their dreams had also revealed vital secrets from their ancestor's past. It was as if their dreams had been showing them glimpses of both the past and their future all at once and it was up to them to decipher which. It seemed their fates were not just intertwined, but intricately woven together. Both their pasts and their future were knitted together like a baroque tapestry. He gazed at her in awe, wondering how on earth he had been so lucky to have been fated to be with her.

"I've ne'er loved anyone as I love ye Hiccup, "Merida replied softly. Hiccup smiled warmly at her, his heart nearly bursting with her heartfelt words. Nothing made him happier than to hear those words uttered from her perfect, irresistible and very kissable pink lips. But in true Hiccup fashion, he could not pass up the opportunity to annoy her in some way.

"More than Ryan Macintosh," he raised an eyebrow at her questioningly with a near devilish grin on his face. She rolled her eyes and smirked at him.

"I don't know," Merida replied flatly, "yer gonna have tae give me some time tae think aboot it." She furrowed her brow for a long and purposely exaggerated few moments. Hiccup mockingly grabbed his chest, feigning shock.

"Well, that's just great, here I am, practically pouring my heart out over here," he replied over-dramatically, "and you need time to think about your feelings for Ryan Macintosh!"

"Oh please," Merida replied haughtily, "my feelings for ye dinnae even come close to comparing to my feelings for Ryan." She flashed him a devilish grin of her own.

"What," Hiccup replied in shocked amusement.

"Aye," she replied sweetly, "I loathe him far more than I loathe ye."

"Ouch," Hiccup replied with a chuckle, "poor Ryan."

"Dae nae ye dare show sympathy for that cad," Merida huffed. She pulled away from him once more, crossing her arms over her chest. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her near venomous remark. It was evident she disliked the guy, but it seemed like there was more to it than just that he was a pompous jerk. It suddenly dawned on him as he replayed the details of her story in his head.

"Wait a minute, you said that Ryan kissed you first," Hiccup said in realization, "does that mean… that you kissed him back?" Merida gazed back at him with wide eyes and her face nearly turned as red as her hair.

"Ohhh…I'm on to something aren't I," Hiccup smirked, "there is a lot more to this Ryan Macintosh story, isn't there?" Merida glared at him.

"Come on," Hiccup urged, I told you practically everything about Astrid…and the whole Eret saga. The least you could do is tell me about Ryan." Merida sighed in resignation.

"Aye, there's more," Merida admitted, "but nae much…n' I dinnae want tae talk aboot it!"

"Well, that's not fair at all," Hiccup replied in amusement, "you practically forced me to talk about Astrid." Merida rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Alright…fine," she huffed, "I did kiss Ryan back…but only once n' I regretted it immediately!"

"What happened," Hiccup questioned in interest.

"Well," Merida began, "as I said before, when I was younger I ne'er had much interest in love or crushes or an'thing or th' sort. So, when Ryan just randomly kissed me, it was completely unexpected, nae tae mention uninvited! I had no interest in boys in general, let alone Ryan Macintosh! Even at sixteen he was a cad, flirting shamelessly with any lassie that came his way. I was furious! How dare he just assume that I'd even want him tae kiss me, as if I were just any other glaikit lassie tae fall for his smooth-talkin' antics!"

"So, you punched him in the face," Hiccup reminded her with a playful smirk. She glared at him.

"Aye, do ye want tae hear th' story or not," Merida huffed.

"Sorry," Hiccup replied with a mischievous grin, "that's just my favorite part." Merida rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Of course, that would be yer favorite part," Merida replied in amusement.

"Hey, I told you, I have a thing for assertive women," Hiccup replied with a smirk, "what's more assertive than punching a guy in the face who kissed you without asking!" Merida couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her lips with his comment. Hiccup grinned at her reaction.

"Not to mention, you pack a hell of punch princess," Hiccup said as he raised an eyebrow at her, "I know from experience!" Merida winced at his statement as the memory replayed in her mind.

"I am sorry aboot that," Merida replied as she lay her soft hand upon his face in the place she had struck him days ago. The skin of his cheekbone still showed a faded yellow bruise, "but it was yer own fault for sneakin' up on me as ye did." Hiccup chuckled at her words.

"I know, believe me I've learned my lesson," Hiccup chuckled, "from here on out, I'll remember to duck after I sneak up on you." Merida chuckled at his response as she dropped her hand from his face. Hiccup smiled warmly as he took her hand and held it gently in his for a moment.

"Ya know, you don't need to apologize," Hiccup went on, "you're not afraid to defend yourself, I love that about you." Merida blushed slightly with his compliment.

"Ye should tell my mum that when ye meet her," Merida replied, "she was furious ower th' whole debacle with Ryan. She grounded me for a week after." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment.

"Wait... your mom was mad at you, because you punched a guy for kissing you without your consent," Hiccup replied, "how does that make any sense?"

"She said I should have handled it more like a lady," Merida huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "rather than resorting to violence like a common man." Hiccup shook his head in disbelief.

"That's bull shit," Hiccup replied, "if I ever have a daughter, I'm going to teach her how to fight, and I will definitely encourage her to kick the butt of any guy who tries to force himself on her!" Merida chuckled.

"And if ye don't, I will," Merida replied with a grin. Hiccup smiled at her words, blushing slightly at her implication.

"Well," Merida continued, "ye'd think that after th' punching incident, Ryan would've been embarrassed enough tae avoid me completely n' not bother tae pursue me any further; but that was not th' case at all. In fact, he pursued me more, not tae mention he was bolder in his pursuit."

"Bolder," Hiccup questioned, "how so?"

"He laid it on thick o'er th' next year n a half," Merida replied, "he'd write letters tae me, saying all kinds o' sweet things, everything I guess he thought I wanted to hear. At first, I just disregarded the letters, but he was persistent. I'd receive at least one letter every month. As time went on I began tae look forward tae his letters n' I even started tae write him back as well. Whenever his clan visited, it seemed he only paid attention tae me, not every lassie tae cross his path, like before. When he was around me, he was th' sweetest person; not at all th' pompous show-off he was. I started tae think I might've misjudged him. I thought perhaps his brandish displays were just that n'nothin' more, n' th' real Ryan was truly a good person deep down. I started tae feel fond o' him n' developed a bit o' a crush I guess." Hiccup remained quiet as he listened, silently, taking in every detail of her story.

"About several months prior tae th' Dunbroch games, he came with his clan n' th' other clans for my sixteenth birthday celebration. At some point we found ourselves alone in th' garden n' I…well, I…I acted on my feelings. I kissed him, n' he more than reciprocated."

Hiccup flinched slightly at her admission. It was one thing knowing that Ryan had forced a kiss on her initially, but the knowledge that she had kissed Ryan back of her own free will was quite another. Though it had happened long before he knew her, and though he knew there was nothing more to it, the idea of her willingly kissing someone other than himself caused him to feel slightly jealous. He tried his best to push the feelings aside and focus on her story.

"It was impulsive n' stupid," Merida continued, "I let my guard down a bit, n' for a moment… I thought that maybe… there might be something more tae it all." She paused a moment dropping her eyes from his as she silently recalled the events of which she spoke. "Then, not a day later I overheard him braggin' aboot it tae his clansmen!," Merida continued, her voice becoming flustered, "he thought he had me wrapped around his finger…that it wouldn't be long til I'd be his fur th' taking, n' th' throne was as good as his." As Merida described Ryan's words, Hiccup's agitation grew.

"What an ass," Hiccup huffed under his breath. He could feel his frustration building up as she continued her story. Just as before, when she had spoken about the other suitors' treatment of her, he felt extremely defensive, and slightly over-protective of her. It angered him to no end that this 'Ryan Macintosh' had manipulated her and taken advantage of her feelings.

"And then, when I went to confront him aboot it," Merida continued, "I found him in th' stable, rollin' around in th' hay wit' some chambermaid, doin' far more than kissin' I might add!" Hiccup raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Are you serious," Hiccup replied in a shocked tone. Merida nodded.

"Now, I want to kick his ass," Hiccup replied. Merida chuckled slightly at his words.

"Aye, well, ye can imagine my annoyance when he showed up tae th' Dunbroch games, actin' as pompous as ever, flexing his muscles n' tossin' his dark locks around like he was some sort o' demi-God or somethin'. And expectin' me tae just fall all ower him just fur he's braw. Tae make matters worse, if th' games had gone in his favor, I'd have been forced tae wed that pompous, arrogant jerk!" Hiccup chuckled at her flustered words. But as she told her story, he was reminded of their brief misunderstanding on the day they first met.

…...

"Oh come now, do ye think I'm daft," Merida replied as she collected her things, "you're a typical man," Merida huffed, "ye tell me what I want to hear so that I find ye interesting n'then ye look at me with those, those green eyes n' ye smile at me with that crooked grin o' yer's..."

"Wait...what," Hiccup stuttered, "my what now?"

"And then what, I...I'm just another notch in yer belt then," Merida replied, "I wasn't born yesterday! I know better than tae...than tae...fall for th' likes of ye!"

...

"I think you like me, and you're just making up crazy excuses to not like me...because...because you're afraid to like me!"

"That's exactly what someone like ye would say, isn't it," Merida scoffed.

"I know yer type," Merida huffed, Yer nothin mair then an egotistical, sel righteous, pompous jerk, wha thinks juist fur he's braw that ony lassie he meets wull juist fall a' ower him!"

…...

"Now it makes sense," Hiccup replied.

"What," Merida questioned.

"Our argument the day we met," Hiccup chuckled at his own realization. Merida furrowed her brow at him curiously. Hiccup smiled back at her auspiciously.

"When you misunderstood what I said, you accused me of being an egotistical, self-righteous, pompous jerk... just like Ryan!" Merida raised her eyebrows in surprise as Hiccup spoke. Until this moment it hadn't even occurred to her that her initial opinion of him could have been influenced by her previous experience. Hiccup smiled back at her knowingly.

"Everything you accused me of... was stuff that already happened with Ryan," Hiccup went on, "you were afraid to like me because of what happened with Ryan Macintosh. You only lashed out because you were trying to protect yourself." Merida gazed back at Hiccup, completely dumbfounded by his apparent revelation.

"I... I guess I never really thought o' that before," Merida replied, "but I think ye might be right." Hiccup chuckled.

"I know I'm right," he replied assuredly.

"Well, ye certainly don't need to be so smug about it," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Hiccup couldn't help but to laugh.

"I'm not trying to be smug," Hiccup chuckled, "this just explains a lot. Maybe it's even the reason that you believed as you did about love. Or why you thought that no one would ever love you for you and not just your crown." Merida remained quiet as she thought over Hiccup's suggestions. He certainly made a good point. As she thought about it, it did all sort of make sense.

"So," Hiccup sighed, changing the subject a bit, "what did old Ryan Macintosh have to say for himself after you caught him?" Merida shrugged.

"I didn't exactly wait around tae find oot," Merida replied, "he tried tae come after me, but I ran away, and I avoided him completely for the rest o' his stay. I didnae wantae hear what he had tae say. I washed my hands o' him after he left. But he was still persistent, he wrote me several letters between then n' th' games, which I didnae even bother tae read."

"So you never even gave him a chance to explain," Hiccup questioned. Merida shook her head vigorously.

"No," she replied, "why would I? What explanation could he possibly have for beddin' a chambermaid days after confessin' tae me?" Hiccup furrowed his brow at her words.

"Confessing," Hiccup questioned, "Merida did he….did he tell you he was in love with you?" Merida remained quite for a long moment as she pondered how to answer him.

"No… nae in so many words," she replied cautiously, "he … he said that he had feelins' for me, followed by a string o' meaningless flattery."

"That sounds an awful lot like my first confession to you," Hiccup replied, "which was basically me telling you I was falling for you while being too nervous to say the actual words." Merida shook her head vigorously at Hiccup's suggestion.

"Tis nae at all th' same," Merida insisted.

"How is it different," Hiccup questioned.

"Because… ye meant what ye said," Merida replied firmly, "it was just words tae Ryan, words he tried tae use tae get his way. Ryan ne'er wanted me... he wanted my crown, and he thought that he could beguile it from me. Besides, even if he did say the words, what difference would it make? He still did what he did! As far as I'm concerned he doesn't deserve th' chance tae explain!" Hiccup nodded at her answer.

He remained quiet for a long moment as he pondered all she had said. He was not exactly sure how he felt about this newest development. While, her story did little to sway his confidence in Merida's feelings for him, he couldn't help but to think that this Ryan Macintosh might be a bigger hurdle than he previously thought. There was no doubt in his mind that Ryan's main goal might've been the crown, but from all she had told him, it seemed to him that Ryan Macintosh was also a bit obsessed with Merida. It seemed that he only pursued her so insistently because she had resisted him initially. Also, from how Merida described him, it sounded like Ryan was quite used to using his good looks and charm to get his way, and the only reason he was so obsessed with Merida was because she was completely disillusioned with his charm. He was obsessed with her, because he couldn't have her. With that in mind, Hiccup began to worry that Ryan's obsession with Merida might very well further complicate their already complicated situation. And if Ryan were to mistake his obsession for love, then Hiccup might very well have a bigger fight on his hands than he initially anticipated. Not only that, but Ryan had had a chance with Merida once, even if it had been slim. Hiccup worried that, because of their past that Ryan might very well come to Dunbroch confident that Merida was as good as his. The very thought of this stirred in Hiccup a barrage of jealous anxiety and insecurity. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as he once again tried his best to push these negative feelings to the back of his mind.

"It... it was never serious wit' him," Merida went on, "it was just a crush as I said, but I'd be lyin' if I said I wisnae just a wee bit hurt. Mostly I just felt incredibly stupid. How could I have ever thought that he had changed from what he was? How could I have allowed myself to be fooled? A' fur o' some silly love letters 'n' meaningless flattery. He tellt me whit I wanted tae hear, bit he ne'er meant a single word. He's hee haw more than a bloody scoundrel!" Hiccup nodded as he thought over all that she had told him. There was no question that she was over the ordeal with Ryan...but he could tell that the memory still hurt a little. It was something he could sort of relate to.

"Ya know," Hiccup replied, "I uh...I kinda found out about Astrid and Eret in a similar way." Merida looked to him with wide eyes.

"Ye mean... ye… ye caught them," Merida questioned, "together." Hiccup nodded.

"So, like I said before …. A while after she and I broke up, Astrid and Eret got together, but they kept it a secret at first," Hiccup explained, "they had been sneaking around for months before I found out. Then one day I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I stumbled upon one of their rendezvous." Merida winced slightly at his words. She laid her hand upon Hiccup's arm as she gazed up at him in sympathy.

"You could imagine how I felt," Hiccup continued, "I was already heartbroken over the breakup...only to walk in on her and my best friend...like that. I was livid. I accused her of cheating on me the whole time with Eret. I accused Eret of intentionally coming between me and Astrid. I accused them both of betraying me. I didn't speak to either of them for months afterward. It was really bad."

"No wonder ye were so afraid o' love," Merida replied, "n' why ye were so dead-set on ne'er forgivin' them." Hiccup winced as he nodded his head.

"Yeah...the whole thing was pretty terrible," Hiccup admitted with a heavy sigh, "and it definitely was not an easy thing to get over.… but if all of that hadn't happened, I might never have found Dunbroch… or you." Merida furrowed her brow at his comment.

"What do ye mean," Merida questioned in intrigue. It dawned on Hiccup in that moment that he'd never really told her how he'd inadvertently stumbled upon Dunbroch in the first place. Come to think of it, he hadn't really told anyone, not even Valka, though she had her inklings.

"Okay," Hiccup sighed, "so…remember when I told you that a few weeks before we met, I was scouting around Dunbroch to update my map?" Merida nodded as she gazed at him in guarded curiosity.

"All of that is true," Hiccup reassured her, "but, what I didn't tell you was, that on that particular occasion, scouting was sort of… my excuse to get away from Berk." As Merida pondered his words, she briefly recalled their conversation the night on her balcony. He told her that he'd left without telling anyone, besides his mother and Fishlegs, that he'd taken all the maps of Dunbroch to keep the others from following him. He'd all but confirmed that the reason he had concealed his whereabouts when he returned here was because he didn't want Astrid to come after him, and he'd already inadvertently admitted that had been the reason he had come here at all. What she hadn't anticipated was the exact reason why.

"Ye weren't just runnin' from Berk," Merida replied knowingly, "ye were runnin' from Astrid as well." Hiccup nodded in confirmation.

"So…like a month before I stumbled upon Dunbroch," Hiccup explained, "Astrid and Eret had just announced their engagement." Merida gazed back at him in surprise for a moment, but she kept silent as she took in every detail of his story.

"They were both so excited to tell everyone about it," Hiccup went on, "but for me it was like a kick in the gut. Every single day was like a…a blatant reminder of how blissfully happy they were and how unhappy I was. It was unbearable. Even though I finally tolerated their relationship, the knowledge that they were getting married just brought up a lot of stuff… a-and feelings … and I... I just couldn't deal with it." Hiccup paused a moment, sighing heavily before continuing.

"The closer it came to the day," Hiccup continued, "the harder it got, so…I took off. I just made up some bull-shit story about having to go on a scouting mission to add a new place that I'd found to my map, and I left. But…the truth is…. I didn't even really have a destination or a plan in mind at all, I just wanted to get as far away from Berk as I could. I needed time to myself to sort through my feelings and clear my head. I came across Dunbroch by happenstance while I was running from Berk."

Merida furrowed her brow as she gazed at him in uncertainty. She had not realized just how recent the event of Astrid's marriage had been, nor how fresh the wounds of his failed relationship were. She guessed it made sense. It did explain Hiccup's state of mind regarding Eret's initial arrival, and his seemingly unresolved feelings for Astrid that had resurfaced that night on her balcony. It explained why he had been so reluctant to talk about Astrid from the start. The thought of it caused Merida's heart to flinch slightly. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about his confession. Though she had no doubts about his feelings for her now, it was still slightly unsettling. If Astrid was the reason he had left Berk in the first place, she couldn't help but to wonder what would happen when he returned there and finally faced Astrid once again. Would these residual feelings once again affect him? Noticing her quietness and the expression of uncertainty on her face, Hiccup gazed back at Merida in concern.

"So, Astrid and Eret were only just recently wed then," Merida questioned. Hiccup nodded in confirmation.

"They were still on their honeymoon when I came back to Dunbroch the second time, to look for the standing stones," Hiccup replied. Merida dropped her eyes from his once again as she silently thought over the newest bit of information that he had just shared with her.

"That's why ye were so angry with Eret when he came here," Merida said softly. Hiccup nodded once more.

"It was definitely part of it," Hiccup confirmed, "but there was a lot more to it than that. Eret and I were sort of at odds even before Astrid and I broke up." Merida gazed at him curiously.

"Why," Merida questioned. Hiccup looked down and away from her as he silently recalled the events that had led up to he and Eret's falling out.

"Well," Hiccup replied, "like I told you before, when things between Astrid and I were just starting to fall apart, she and Eret spent a lot of time together and I didn't exactly handle that very well."

"Ye were jealous of him," Merida remembered aloud.

"In a word…yes," Hiccup replied. "I told you all of this before… I.. I pushed Astrid away…and…because of that she leaned on Eret. Astrid wasn't the only one that wanted to help me… so did Eret. They leaned on each other because I was never there and they didn't know how to help me. But in my messed up mind, I thought that something was going on between them even before Astrid left me. So, naturally, when I found out they were actually were a thing, I took that as proof that they really had betrayed me even though that wasn't true."

"So ye and Eret have been at odds for some time then," Merida replied. Hiccup nodded.

"Yes," Hiccup admitted, "so to answer your question, I was angry at Eret because of what happened with Astrid and part of that was due to the wedding." Merida nodded as she silently thought over what he had said. She gazed in his direction with an unreadable expression on her face. Hiccup gazed at her anxiously as he tried to decipher her feelings about everything he had told her.

"So… ye ran the first time because o' Astrid," Merida said softly, "is she also the reason ye came back th' second time as well?" Hiccup shook his head vigorously as he gazed at her.

"No," Hiccup replied insistently, "I came back because I wanted to find out what happened to my grandfather, and because of the dreams…but if I'm being honest… I could have waited a few days for Astrid and Eret to come home. I could have told her where I was going, and why... but I didn't. I…I purposely left while they were away. I told myself it was because I didn't want to deal with Astrid questioning me about where I was going, and what I was doing here, but, I…I just wasn't ready to face her after, ya know, she had officially moved on." Merida remained silent for a few moments.

"Does that bother you," Hiccup asked. Merida shook her head slightly, but her expression remained uncertain.

"I…guess I… I just didn't realize how fresh it all was for ye," Merida replied as she dropped her eyes from his, "at least what happened with Ryan was years ago, I've had more than enough time to sort through it…, nae that there was much tae sort thru." Hiccup remained silent for a few moments as he thought over her words. He could see that she was concerned and, considering her feelings when he'd first told her about his history with Astrid and Eret, he couldn't blame her.

During their brief time apart after his confession on her balcony, Hiccup had finally been certain that he had fallen for her, and his only concern was how to go about telling her the next time he saw her. But Merida had spent that same time in turmoil over her own feelings for him. Because of his confession about Astrid, she had been afraid that he would never be over his past, that he would never be over Astrid. She had been afraid that her feelings for him would remain unrequited. It was for this very reason she had been afraid to tell him how she felt even after he had kissed her in the glen. He could only assume that her fear that he was still not quite over Astrid had resurfaced a bit. His heart felt heavy at the thought that she might be questioning his feelings once again. Slowly, Hiccup reached out, placing his hand just under her chin, he gently lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. He smiled warmly when she met his gaze.

"Listen, I've had more than enough time to sort through everything with Astrid, believe me," Hiccup replied assuredly, "I was mostly over it by that point anyway, it…it was just the wedding that brought up some unresolved feelings, but I'm past all of that now. Merida nodded at his explanation, but remained quiet.

"The night I told you about Eret and Astrid, I was a bit of a mess," Hiccup continued.

"Because Eret showed up," Merida responded.

"No…," Hiccup replied, "I…I mean yes….it was…b-but that was only part of it." Hiccup sighed heavily as he struggled to put his feelings into words.

"Ever since I got here… ever since I met you," Hiccup went on, "I felt like my past was so far behind me. I didn't have to prove myself or… try to live up to some impossible standard… I could just be me, ya know. I felt free; free of Berk, free of my past. I felt legitimately happy for the first time in a very long time. But then I screwed up… I kept you out past your curfew and when you left I… I just felt lost," Hiccup continued, "I was having feelings for you but I was afraid of that…and I wasn't even really sure that I 'd ever see you again. So, when I got back to camp I was already feeling pretty sorry for myself, and then I ran into Eret and It was like everything I was running from came crashing down on me. All my anger and hurt and frustration came flooding back. Eret and I got into a huge fight and he basically threw every mistake I ever made with Astrid in my face, which I guess I sort of deserved but that didn't make it any easier to hear. But all those feelings came back to me, the resentment, the anger, the hurt. I didn't know how to feel, and I didn't know what that meant in regards to how I was feeling about you. I was afraid." Hiccup paused for a long moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I was basically drowning in guilt, and frustration over Astrid, and my anger with Eret, a-and remorse and confusion about you. I didn't know what to do or where to go. But all I could think about was you, and how you make me feel and how much I just wanted to see your face and hear your voice. When I came to you, I couldn't hold back, I just told you everything because I knew you'd understand; I felt like you were the only one who would listen and help me make sense of it." Hiccup reached for her hand once more and held it tightly in his before continuing.

"That night, you said that if I couldn't forgive them, that I could never get past it, and I would never move on... and you were right. You helped me realize that I didn't have to hold on to the past anymore; there was nothing I could have done to change things with Astrid, so there was no point in letting my guilt hold me back any longer. Merida nodded as she dropped her eyes from his, thinking heavily on his words. Hiccup gazed at her curiously, unsure of her feelings about what he'd said.

"But if ye could change things….," Merida started.

"I wouldn't," Hiccup quickly interrupted, "even if it were possible." Merida looked to him as he spoke, carefully weighing his words.

"As bad as the whole Astrid situation was, I would never change it or even wish to change it," Hiccup said assuredly, "everything that happened with Astrid and Eret, put me on the path that led me here to you." He reached for her hand and held it tightly in his, "I would never take another path." She looked up at him with an unreadable expression on her face. Hiccup paused as he gazed back at her, still not quite able to decipher her feelings. Merida continued to gaze at him curiously as she silently pondered his words.

"Admittedly, I…I've never been the type of person to believe in such things as fate or destiny or any sort of divine force driving us all," Hiccup went on, "but finding Dunbroch changed my view on all of that. To this day, I can't explain why I had a feeling about this place from the start, nor why I was drawn to it before I even knew anything about it. Hell, I don't even know what made me decide to fly in this direction to begin with. But I'm certain that everything happened as it did for a reason. Had it not been for what happened with Astrid, I might not have run from Berk, and if I hadn't run, I probably wouldn't have stumbled upon Dunbroch in the first place." He reached forward and gently brushed a rogue curl from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. His hand came to rest on her soft cheek. He smiled at her warmly.

"Everything happened for a reason," Hiccup said assuredly, "maybe that's why I can make peace with everything so easily now, because I know that it all led me here, to where I was always meant to be; to who I was always meant to be with." He gazed at her lovingly as he spoke. Merida's gaze softened a bit and she smiled slightly.

"Do ye think fate has always guided us," Merida questioned, "even from the very start?" Hiccup nodded at her suggestion.

"When you really think about it," Hiccup replied, "it makes sense. There is far too much proof for it all to just be coincidental." Merida remained quiet as she pondered his theory.

"Think about your situation with Ryan Macintosh," Hiccup went on, "what Ryan did to you was completely unacceptable, but if things hadn't gone down as they did, you might not have ever seen the person he really is. Maybe you would have even been eager for the Dunbroch games. And if Ryan did win the games, maybe you would have even accepted his proposal without incidence. Then where would you be? You'd be betrothed to that eejit. You'd probably be home in the castle right now, picking out wedding décor, none the wiser, while he was off rolling in the hay with some chambermaid and counting down the days until he sits on your throne."

"Bite yer tongue," Merida groaned. Hiccup chuckled at her comment. He gently pulled her back to him. Merida turned around and leaned her back comfortably up against his chest once more as he wrapped his arms around her. Without a word, he leaned forward and kissed her warmly atop her head.

"Instead…you're here with me," Hiccup said with a smile, "in...a dark... damp cave... hiding out from a kelpie." Merida chuckled lightly at his words.

"Aye, n' I wouldn't have it any other way," Merida replied with a smile, "kelpie or no kelpie."

"Neither would I," Hiccup replied softly. Merida sighed softly as she silently pondered over all they had discussed. Particularly, Hiccup's suggestion that all they had ever been through had been leading them here.

"Ye know, now that I think aboot it," Merida replied, "th' week prior tae th' day ye n' I met, I had been bound tae th' castle due tae Lord Dingwall's visit. It just so happened, that particular day that we met, was th' first in a week that my mum allowed me tae take Angus oot for a run. From th' moment I opened my eyes that morn' I had a good feelin' aboot th' comin' day. It felt like somethin' exciting was goin' tae happen. Then I stumbled onto ye n' Toothless."

"See," Hiccup smirked, "if I hadn't left Berk when I did, our paths might not have ever crossed at all. Any sooner and you would have been bound to the castle, any later and I'd have missed you completely! "I'm telling you everything happened as it did for a reason." Merida furrowed her brow as she continued to think about it.

"I wonder why," Merida sighed, "I... I mean, what's so special about ye and I…that fate would go oot o' it's way to bring us together?" Hiccup remained quiet for a long moment as he pondered her question.

"I don't know," Hiccup replied thoughtfully, "maybe you and I are destined to do great things for Dunbroch and Berk." Merida nodded as she thought about it.

"Like reunite our people," Merida replied. Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Whatever the reason," Hiccup sighed, "I won't question it…because I get to be with you and that's the only thing I really care about." Merida smiled warmly at his answer.

"It's you and me Merida," Hiccup continued with a smile as he gently laid his cheek upon her red curls, "we were meant to be. Everything we've ever been through in our lives has just been another stone in the path that has always been leading us here. Even though our paths have been difficult at times, for lots of different reasons, I wouldn't change a thing even if I could. I would gladly walk this broken road a hundred times over if I knew I'd be with you in the end." Merida could feel her heart flutter with his loving words. She smiled warmly as she pressed herself closer to him.

"As would I," Merida replied sweetly.

"So…," Hiccup sighed, "do you think I'll get along with this Macintosh guy when I finally meet him...or is this going to be an all-out rivalry type thing?" Merida lifted her head and looked up at Hiccup as if he'd lost his head. Hiccup chuckled slightly at her response.

"That was a rhetorical question of course," Hiccup reiterated as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, considering the egotistical jerk, Ryan is," Merida replied, "and th' fact that ye'll be impeding his path to th' throne... I'd say it might very well be an all-out war."

"Well, you know me Merida," Hiccup replied, "I'm always up for a challenge." Merida chuckled at his words. She shook her head as she lay back against his chest once again.

"Do ye think I'd get along with Astrid if I ever meet her," Merida questioned curiously. Hiccup remained quiet as he thought over her question.

"Maybe," Hiccup replied simply.

"Maybe," Merida questioned. Hiccup chuckled.

"Astrid isn't the easiest person to get along with," Hiccup reiterated, "she's a little distrustful of anyone outside of her circle. And she's pretty overprotective when it comes to her family and friends. I think it would take her a little while to warm up to you, but after that...you'd probably get along." Merida quietly pondered Hiccup's words.

Truth be told, the mere idea of meeting Astrid was slightly intimidating. She'd heard so much about her, the good, the bad, and the in between. Knowing all that Astrid and Hiccup had gone through together, made her feel slightly inept. Astrid was a Viking, a warrior and Hiccup's second in command, and they shared a complicated history. Hiccup had loved this woman once, he'd spoken highly of her, yet at the same time, he'd confessed how hurt he was after their breakup. Though Merida knew in her heart that Hiccup had made a real effort to put his past behind him, there was still a small part of her that worried that those residual feelings he had spoken of before, might eventually come up again. Though she tried to push the thought to the back of her mind, Merida silently dreaded the idea of meeting Astrid and Hiccup's description of his past love did little to ease her apprehension. As if sensing her trepidation, Hiccup looked down on her in slight concern.

"You're being very quiet all of a sudden," Hiccup said, "are you okay?" Merida nodded wordlessly, as she pondered how to answer him. She didn't want to put him in any sort of awkward position with Astrid, and she certainly didn't want to come off insecure or jealous over it all. But she didn't want to lie to him either.

"Aye," she replied softly, "I'm fine, It… it's just, I…well, I…I'm sort o' nervous to meet her," Merida admitted. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her words. He silently thought over all he had just said to her regarding Astrid, He wondered if something he'd said might've upset her in some way.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup apologized, "I didn't mean to make you nervous. Astrid's not as bad as I made her seem. She's not going to hate you or anything." Merida shook her head as she pulled away from him abruptly.

"It's not that," Merida replied softly as she turned to face him, "it's just… I… I don't..." Merida sighed heavily as she tried to find the right words to explain, "I just don't know how I'd feel bein' face tae face with Astrid. Ye …ye loved her once…and she loved ye….and ye have an entire history together. I'm just a tad anxious thinkin' aboot it." Hiccup's heart flinched a bit as she voiced her concerns. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel any insecurities as far as their relationship was concerned, nor for her to second guess his feelings for her. He reached for her hand once more gently interlocking their fingers and squeezed them slightly in reassurance. Merida gazed back at him feeling extremely self-conscious about the whole thing.

"I get it, yes, Astrid and I have a long and complicated history," Hiccup replied, "but… none of that matters in the long run….not really." He gazed at her assuredly, trying his best to set her mind at ease.

"I do understand how you feel," Hiccup went on, "I would be lying if I told you that your story about Ryan didn't make feel... slightly uncomfortable." Merida looked up at him, with a slight smile.

"Are ye sayin' ye felt a wee bit jealous," she questioned in amusement. Hiccup looked down at her and grinned.

"No," Hiccup replied immediately, "it's just, ya know...the knowledge that he kissed you and that you even wanted to kiss him back...makes me feel...uh...a bit..." Merida furrowed her brow at him in amusement.

"Jealous," Merida replied knowingly. Hiccup rolled his eyes playfully.

"Okay fine," Hiccup groaned, "maybe...I am sort of...a little jealous. But not because I'm worried about it...uh... cause I'm not. I just...ya know... I can't stand the idea that you kissed that jerk...and I sort of can't get the visual out of my head of you and him... in the garden...kissing." Hiccup shuddered as the thought once again crossed his mind.

"I told ye it meant nothing," Merida replied, "there is no reason tae feel that way."

"See... you say it meant nothing," Hiccup replied, "but you did have some feelings...otherwise you wouldn't have kissed him back at all."

"It was only a crush Hiccup," Merida reaffirmed, "and whatever feelings I had were fleeting."

"I know," Hiccup sighed, "I know...and if he wasn't coming to Dunbroch in a few days to woo you... maybe it wouldn't bother me so much... but here we are." Noticing the slight edge in his voice, Merida sat forward and turned to face him.

"Hiccup, ye know ye have nothin' tae worry about," Merida questioned, "right?" Hiccup nodded.

"I know," Hiccup replied assuredly, "and neither do you." He gazed at her lovingly for a long moment before continuing. "You are, and always have been my future, my one true love. Nothing will ever change that. Not my complicated past with Astrid, and certainly not your sordid history with Ryan." Merida nodded in understanding as she took comfort in his words. She smiled warmly.

Slowly he reached up, gently tucking a rogue curl behind her ear. His hand came to rest upon her pale cheek once more as he gazed at her lovingly. The gentle touch of his rough hand upon her smooth skin caused her heart to race and the look of pure love that reflected back at her from his intense green eyes caused her stomach to flip flop. Once again, she was reminded of the Viking in her dream.

It seemed that Hiccup reminded her of the Viking from her nightly visions more and more every day, whether it was a look in his eye, an expression on his face, or something he said. Even the touch of his hand upon her face was reminiscent of her dreams. It was to the point where the line between her dreams and reality were almost becoming too blurred to distinguish one from the other. She couldn't help but to think that perhaps Hiccup's latest theory regarding their dreams wasn't so far fetched after all. He dropped his hand from her face then took her hand gently in his.

"I know that this was always meant to be Merida," Hiccup said as he motioned to the space between them, "it will always be you and me." He smiled warmly, "it's you and me until the wheels fall off and the horse keels over." Merida chuckled as he repeated the very words she'd said to him not so long ago.

"I'm impressed," she smiled, "ye remembered it nearly word for word."

"Of course," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "who could forget a crazy saying like that?" Merida shook her head in amusement. He leaned forward kissing her upon the cheek, then loosened his fingers from hers as he stood up and stretched his arms over head. He winced slightly as the sharp pain in his side reminded him of his wound. Merida gazed up at him curiously. He looked down on her with a warm smile as he held his hand out.

"Come on," he said, "it's been a few hours...we should probably go check on Toothless, plus I want to see if the storm has let up enough for us to get out of here. It's getting late, and I don't want to risk keeping you out past your curfew. If this storm hasn't cleared up yet, we might just have to head back to camp in the rain."

"Well," Merida sighed as she slipped her hand into his, "I already look a shambles as it is, I suppose going home soaking wet as well will be inconsequential." Hiccup smirked at her words. He pulled her into his arms once again.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "I still think you look beautiful." Merida raised an eyebrow at him dubiously.

"Is that so," Merida questioned. Hiccup nodded.

"Oh yeah," Hiccup replied with a grin, "covered in mud, in a tattered cloak, and soaking wet...you are still the most beautiful girl the world to me." Merida felt her face blush with his compliment.

"Aye," Merida replied, "now I think yer the one being biased." Hiccup chuckled at her words.

"Maybe...just a little," Hiccup replied in amusement. Merida shook her head as she smiled up at him.

"Biased or not, your opinion isn't the one I'm worried about," Merida replied, "it's my mother's."

"What, fighting off kelpies isn't lady-like enough for her," Hiccup replied. Merida smirked at him.

"Definitely not," Merida agreed.

---

Ryan Macintosh

Ryan Macintosh and his clansmen sat in a local tavern in the questionable part of his island. A part of town that the son of a Lord should probably steer clear of to avoid a scandal. Despite its ill-reputation, or perhaps because of it, young Macintosh and his clansmen were frequent customers. They were known quite well for the ruckus they nearly always brought with them. It would be long nights of drinking and fighting and showing off, not to mention mucking about with the local ladies of ill-repute.

Tonight he and his clansmen were celebrating yet another successful hunt, as well as their upcoming trip to Dunbroch. Ryan was in the best of moods; he was thoroughly looking forward to his visit to Dunbroch. He was especially looking forward to seeing Merida again, though he was slightly unsure what to expect.

The last time he visited was roughly two years prior. He had every intention of picking up where they'd left off prior to the games, but he found Merida to be less than receptive to his advances. Though slightly disheartened by her cold welcome, Ryan merely brushed it off as her playing hard to get. He already knew that she liked him, after all, no matter what she said or did to prove otherwise. There was no denying their chemistry, no pretending that their attraction didn't exist. Though she could be stubborn, Ryan was sure she couldn't deny her feelings for him forever. He just had to bide his time. He was certain she'd eventually come around, once her desire outweighed her will.

Perhaps this summoning of the suitors was proof that the tides had indeed begun to change. Perhaps she had finally grown out of her stubbornness and was ready to accept a betrothal. His ultimate hope was that he'd be far more successful in winning her heart than he had been at competing for her hand. Dalliance, after all was something he was particularly good at. Beguiling a lassie couldn't be much different than wooing one. He'd already practically done that anyway. Honestly, he had practically been wooing Merida for years.

Now at the prospect of having another chance with her, Ryan had every certainty that the courting of Merida would go in his favor. Of the choices she had, he was the best, after all. As far as Ryan was concerned, Alasdaire MacGuffin and Thorburn Dingwall were of little to no competition compared to him. Besides, he had already laid the groundwork with her years ago, and Merida had already been partial to him prior to the Dunbroch games, he didn't see how this could go any other way but his.

Ryan and Merida had been friends once, long ago when the clans were closer, and they were only children. The war with the Vikings had brought the clans together and in the years that followed, clan Macintosh frequently visited Dunbroch. Ryan and Merida had practically grown up together. As small children, they always got along, though he was known to torment her on occasion. He and the other boys were older than her and they nearly always treated her as an annoying little tag along. But she held her own following after them. They went on many adventures into the woods as children, pretending to fight off imaginary dragons and even Mordu, and exploring the highlands. Their time in the castle was often spent in friendly competition during which he'd often show off, but she'd almost always show him up. Back then he didn't mind that she could beat him at his own game. In fact, it was one of her many characteristics that he liked the most about her, though he'd never willingly admit it. As he reminisced, he thought back to his father's words from the previous day.

…...

"She's spoiled is what she is," Macintosh replied, "a sel righteous 'n' ornery lassie. The only thing special about that girl is that she comes with th' crown o' Dunbroch." Ryan glared at his father.

"Don't speak o' her that way," Ryan replied through gritted teeth.

"Enough Ryan," Macintosh replied dismissively, "don't act as if yer in love with her!" Ryan glared at his father. Macintosh sighed heavily as he reached out and rested his hand upon his son's shoulder.

"Ye may hae a bit of a soft spot for the lass," Macintosh replied, "but I urge ye tae not lose yer focus. She's nothin' more than a means to an end son; that end bein' ye on th' throne o' Dunbroch."

"Nae, yer wrong," Ryan replied, "she's more than that."

"Ye best nae forget what happened th' last time ye let yer feelin's get th' better o' ye son," Macintosh replied sternly, "I suggest ye put yer feelin's aside, they will only distract ye from the real prize."

...

It was true, Ryan did have a soft spot for Merida, it seemed he always had. The older they got the more his feelings seemed to grow. Merida however seemed oblivious to Ryan's advances. Boasting and bragging had gained him little to no ground with her and he quickly learned that she had little interest in such displays.

As a teen, he had grown used to all manor of young lassies falling at his feet, with nothing more than a smoldering smile or a toss of his dark locks. Though he enjoyed the attention, Merida was the only one he was truly interested in impressing, yet she always seemed to be the least impressed. He was used to nearly always getting what he wanted and her disinterest was maddening to the point he'd do just about anything to get her to look his way.

Despite her indifference, Ryan continued to pine over her and he resorted to more drastic measures to gain her attention. He'd flirt and fawn over any lassie that came his way, in hopes to kindle her jealousy. This however only gave her the impression that he was nothing more than a womanizing cad. One day in the spur of the moment, he tried to kiss her, in hopes he could make her notice him, but that fateful moment hadn't gone at all as planned. Rather than being swayed by his charm like any other lassie he'd kissed, Merida was furious. Perhaps he had just been too bold for the moment.

Unfortunately, after the whole kissing debacle, clan Macintosh visited Dunbroch far less frequently than before. One could say that the princess' actions against Ryan was the beginning of Lord Macintosh's disdain for clan Dunbroch, though Ryan could tell you that his father's abhorrence for the ruling clan started long before that particular incident. It seemed that as far back as Ryan could remember, his father was obsessed with claiming the throne in Macintosh's name, and using his son to accomplish his goal. Lord Macintosh had stated many times that King Fergus had once taken what was rightfully his, and he vowed a long time ago to take what was rightfully Fergus'.

While this goal was also important to Ryan, for him it was less about gaining the crown and more about winning Merida. She was the ultimate goal, he wanted to win her over, he wanted to make her his. But having no way to brag or try to get a rise out of Merida, Ryan changed his approach. He wrote her frequent letters, filled with compliments, and sonnets, saying anything he could think of to sway her. As time went on, Merida had begun to take notice of him more. She started responding to his letters, and the more they corresponded, the more his feelings, as well as his pride, grew.

As he grew older, he noticed the girls fawning over him more than before, this made his pride swell even more. He'd often resorted to taking advantage of the affect he seemed to have on the females of his tribe. He learned that with good looks, feats of strength and a little charm, he could beguile practically any lassie to do pretty much whatever he wanted them to. As a result, he'd taken many a willing lassie to his bed.

On the rare occasion his clan did visit Dunbroch, Ryan took notice of Merida's reaction to him. He flirted with her and she flirted right back. He found he could push the boundaries with her more than before. She allowed him to hold her hand at times, or run his fingers through her hair, and she blushed whenever he came near. He noticed her drawn out gazes, and subtle smiles, to which he responded with smoldering smiles of his own. She made little comments here and there that definitely seemed more like flirting. He simply could not believe the turn of events. After the years of disinterest, suddenly she was looking his way.

It all came to a head on the eve of her 16th birthday celebration. He had managed to talk her into sneaking away to the garden so that they could spend some time alone together. He had planned to attempt to kiss her again after having gained some ground with her. To his surprise, she kissed him first; to which he responded by kissing her back more fiercely than she had kissed him. She immediately gave into him; and he found she was practically putty in his hands. As she relented, he grew bolder, forcing his tongue past her lips and eliciting a moan. To his surprise her tongue met his with equal fervor. He wanted her desperately, and it seemed that she wanted him as well. If she had been any other random girl, he might have used this opportunity to convince her to take him to her bed, or worse, strategically stumble to the stables and bed her then and there. He'd have been lying if he said he'd never considered the latter. But unlike the many common girls he'd been with, he forced himself to hold back. The throne, after all, was his secondary goal, which could only be obtained through Merida. If he were going to do this, it had to be done the right way, through the proper steps. Marriage to Merida was the only way, to obtain both goals. So, they returned to the dining hall without incidence, but Ryan was certain that she was as good as his.

But like his father and the many Macintoshes before him, pride was his vice. He had spent the next day, filling in his clansmen to all the juicy details, right down to his assumption that she had been ready and willing and he could have bedded her if he wanted to. Unfortunately, it had come to his attention later that Merida had overheard this. He did try to find her and explain that it was all nothing more than men talking amongst men. But she made it a point to avoid him after that. He had decided to let it go for the time being, she was angry and she needed time to cool off, to come to her senses and realize that he meant nothing by his comments. He'd only wanted to impress his clansmen, he had a reputation to live up to after all. He decided to wait till the next day, then seek her out to explain. Though much of how he felt for her was purely physical attraction, his feelings did run deeper than he would have ever willingly admitted to his clansmen.

His remorse, however, did not quell his desirous needs. In a moment of weakness, he was distracted by a red-haired chamber maid who reminded him of Merida. He seduced the lass in the stables. It was nothing more than a concupiscent tryst to satisfy his voracious and unfulfilled desire to be with Merida. Unfortunately Merida had stumbled upon them mid- tryst. He tried to go after her, but she ran away and avoided him completely. It was an unfortunate turn of events. He had practically won her over and within a days time completely screwed it up. Instead of going out of his way to try to explain himself, he stewed in his own wounded pride. And in his state of self loathing he threw caution to the wind, he'd already screwed up enough what more harm could he possibly do. So he returned to the stable, and took his wanton frustrations out on the chambermaid who was more than willing to appease him. Since then, he gravitated toward red haired lasses, using many as stand in for Merida. It seemed Merida was more than just a love interest to him, she was an unquenchable obsession. He was determined to make her his, and this time he wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in his way.

Ryan pushed the thoughts from his mind as he reached for his tankard and took a large swig of ale. He was suddenly distracted by one of his clansman, wrapping his arm round his shoulders in a friendly gesture. Ryan turned to greet his clansmen, Malcolm with a nod of his head.

"Don't look now m' Lord, but it seems ye've caught th' eye o' a rather voluptuous barmaid," Malcolm motioned subtly toward the front of the bar counter. Ryan smiled as he turned his eyes to the barmaid, looking her over with lust in his eyes. She was a beautiful red-haired lass, her hair tied up in a loose bun, with rogue curls coming loose in places. She wore a low-cut, off- white chemise that showed off her bare shoulders as well as her ample bust, over which she wore a dark brown over dress with a tight corset. A slightly dirty apron was tied around her waist. She gazed back at him, her dark eyes roaming conspicuously over his physique. He dropped his eyes from her as he lifted the tankard to his lips once more.

"And she's just yer type m' lord," Malcom went on, "red-haired." Ryan smirked at his friend

"Aye, she'd dae fur a quick romp in th' hay," Ryan snickered, "bit I'm feart ah'ament game tonight." Malcolm chuckled at Ryan's words.

"Are ye serious," Malcolm replied, "since when are ye nae game?"

"Since, I set my sights on Merida," Ryan replied with a smirk. Malcolm snickered.

"Aye, ye've always had yer sights set on Merida," Malcolm replied dismissively, "that's ne'er stopped ye from havin a romp with a barmaid o' two 'afore pal." Ryan chuckled at his friends words.

"Aye, tis true," Ryan replied, "I've had my share o' th' lassies. But if I want tae win th' heart o' th' princess, I'm have tae give it a rest. Besides, "I'm'fair peched o' jumping fae lassie tae lassie, tis exhaustin'. I've sown mah seeds, I'm done. I screwed up wi' Merida plenty afore. If this is ma last chance I will nae screw it up this time as well."

"Are ye serious,"Malcolm replied, "Ryan Macintosh a yin wifie jimmy! That's a load o' horse jobby if ever I heard it." Ryan chuckled at his friend's words.

"Just fur th' time bein'," Ryan replied with a smirk, "once we're betrothed n' I'm set tae be king, I could probably hav' mah pick o the lassies an'time I want. Though I hav' a feelin' Merida will be quite th' romp. She just might mak' a yin wifie jimmy oot a me." To this Malcolm laughed out loud.

"If that's the' case, then what's th' harm in havin' one more romp wit' a barmaid," Malcolm replied, "ye hav' one more day till we set off fur Dunbroch, might as well enjoy yer last days as a free man." Ryan raised an eyebrow at his friend and smirked slyly."

"Ah, there he is," Malcolm smiled, "I knew ye could nae deny yer inner scoundrel!" With that Ryan stood from his chair. He took one last swig of ale, then slammed the metal tankard on the table and headed in the direction of the barmaid.

…