We each have a role to play.
As Queen and Chief, we have responsibilities to our people,
and we must uphold those responsibilities.
Even if they keep us from each other.
"No matter how far we are ..." Merida whispered caressing Hiccup's face.
"We will always find each other..." He replied in the same tone.
Both sealed that promise with a kiss. The symbol of an unbreakable alliance.
Mericcup month starts! 💖💖😄 And this is my first edit for this month 😁
The first time Hiccup Haddock felt old, he was ten. His father and some of the other Vikings were gone on a voyage and he was being watched by Gobber.
His babysitter had gone out to clobber a deadly nadder, leaving the young boy unsupervised in his blacksmith shop.
"Sharpen these for me would you, Gobber?" A Viking dropped an armful of swords onto the counter without a second thought and rushed back into battle.
Hiccup looked up from his book and around the shop, contemplating for a moment before picking up one of the swords and sharpening it against the machine, repeating the notion with the others until he was running Gobber's shop without him.
Gobber came back to find a pile of sharpened weapons and Hiccup, sitting on his stool reading his book.
The second time Hiccup felt old, he was 15 and he'd just woken up from defeating Red Death.
His foot was gone, his muscles ached, and all the evidence he needed store back at him when he looked in the mirror, but he still couldn't believe he'd done it.
Hiccup Haddock suddenly felt very grown up.
The third time he felt old, he was 16 years old and he was told he had to marry a princess.
At first, he was incredibly upset. He and Astrid weren't exactly official, but his dad knew they had a sort of mutual thing going on and who was he to decide who Hiccup got married to?
But, after Stoick told him why they had to do it (and that the Scottish Princess wasn't exactly happy about it either), he didn't feel so angry anymore.
Turns out, Merida, the princess, had her own plans about the marriage and there was this whole thing about turning her mom into a bear and a bunch of other stuff. Long story short, Merida and Hiccup grew slightly fond of one another, forming a lasting friendship.
Hiccup didn't feel old again for a long time. Not again until his dad died and he was christened chief of Berk.
Merida was there for it. She'd been in Berk for a few weeks visiting when the whole thing went down.
Hiccup felt enormous pressure and anxiety up until she gave him a wide smile and suddenly he felt like a mischievous kid again. This caused him to do something he might've regretted.
He pulled the redhead in for a kiss and, luckily for him, she didn't punch him in the face, but returned the kiss happily.
Hiccup and Merida wed a few years later and Hiccup was blessed with three wonderful children with his wife.
Mary Katherine, or M.K. as she prefers, was their eldest and she got to embark on her own adventures that made Hiccup feel very old a lot of the time. Especially the time she brought home her boyfriend, Nod ("Merida she should not be dating she's like twelve!" "Hiccup she's seventeen," "What? When did that happen?!").
After her came their twins, Justin and Felicé. They take after their uncles when it comes to being a pair of wee devils even at an older age. Hiccup claims their the reason he has gray hairs.
Now, at the ripe age of sixty with a wonderful wife, beautiful children, and six lovely grandchildren, Hiccup never feels old. He feels happy with the way his life has gone and he adores telling his grandkids about his adventures.
Merida usually sits by his side and holds his hand while he tells them, rolling her eyes or correcting him when he exaggerates.
Hiccup doesn't feel old; he feels accomplished. He's all grown up.
Prompt 5! Continuation of Old Friends! Please read Old Friends oneshot before this one.
@witch19
Sváss - beloved
Disclaimer: I don’t own brave or httyd
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What’s New (Old Friends II)
Merida couldn’t keep the flush from spreading across her face at the intimate way Hiccup addressed her. She didn’t know Norse, but remembering her dream, his younger self addressed her with the endearment just as affectionately as he was now. Elinor coughed, attempting to get over her own shock at Hiccup’s arrival. He was a lot different than the scrawny boy who would follow her daughter another as she created mischief.
However, despite his new look, she could still see traces of the young boy in this grown-up Hiccup for the look of adoration as he looked at Merida was the same as it was when he was a boy.
“Well, Hiccup… we haven’t really sent ye an invitation…” Elinor began, trying to stop the impending riot among the lords of this new challenger that was obviously leagues ahead of their sons.
“I understand I wasn’t officially invited, Your Majesty.” Hiccup told her politely. “But I made a promise years ago and I intend to keep it, with or without your permission.” The determination in his tone made Elinor see how he was able to be a chief at such a young age. His tribe stood straight, presenting they stood in unity with their chief.
Promise…? Wait! Is he talking about— Merida’s blush returned tenfold, remembering her dream of a little Viking boy promising her he’d marry her when they were old enough. As if Hiccup could sense her thoughts, he glanced at her with a teasing smirk. Merida huffed, crossing her arms—she wouldn’t let this Viking fluster her no matter how charming he was! Her attitude seemed to make him amused as he tried to contain laughter, mirth glinting in his eyes as he gazed upon her.
“Don’t be daft, Elinor! Let the boy compete! What’s wrong with some healthy competition?” Fergus chimed in, bouncing in his seat. Truth be told, he remembered the young Hiccup and how he treated Merida so kindly and tenderly that it swayed Fergus to root for the lad. He could see Hiccup was sincere in his affections for Merida even after all this time, and he was definitely more competent than the lords’ sons. If Hiccup made his daughter happy, he would welcome the Viking on the throne.
“King Fergus, with all due respect, he is a Viking—”
“Who was childhood best friends with my daughter when they were young. He has a right just like yer sons to try for Merida’s hand.” Fergus interrupted the lords, pleased he accomplished something. Elinor sighed, knowing what side her husband was on, and gazed upon Hiccup, seeing his earnest determination to try to win her daughter’s hand, and she saw how Merida was reacting to Hiccup and how Hiccup was acting with her.
She couldn’t take away Merida’s chance at happiness…
“Very well, Hiccup, ye are allowed to compete for the Princess’s hand.” Elinor conceded.
“To ask her you mean.” Hiccup corrected. Elinor, Merida, and everyone else besides the Vikings blinked.
“Pardon?” Elinor asked, confused. Hiccup smiled.
“If I win, I intend to ask for her hand in marriage, Your Majesty.” Hiccup explained. “If I win and ask her and she says yes, I’ll make her the happiest woman in the world, but if she says no, I will continue to support her and swear fealty to her when she becomes queen. I refuse to force Merida into an unhappy marriage.” The chief vowed, his tone leaving no room for argument. The other clansmen gawked at him.
“I thought we were competing for her hand. She can tell us no?” Young Macintosh whispered to his father. Lord Macintosh shook himself out of his stupor and snapped his head to his son.
“When you win, the princess will be your wife. The Viking chief is just insane.” He replied to his son and heir. Young MacGuffin looked intrigued by Hiccup’s idea.
“I would also like to give her a choice, if that’s all right with ye Da.” Young MacGuffin proclaimed to his father in a low tone. Lord MacGuffin gave him a look of shock before grumbling.
“If that is what ye want, son…” he acquiesced to his heir. Young MacGuffin beamed at his father’s agreement.
Meanwhile, Merida wasn’t registering anything besides the Viking chief. He was going through all this hassle just to ask her to marry him? The fact that he was pushing for her to have her own choice was mind blowing. A giddy feeling began to bubble in her stomach and she couldn’t keep the ecstatic grin off of her face. Hiccup returned her smile and Merida realized that he was sincere in letting her decide should he win. An urge to embrace him seized her while she bit her lip to keep from crying out in happiness. This Viking chief—this young boy from her past—was giving the freedom she’s always wanted in her life: the opportunity to choose her fate.
Elinor bit her cheek to keep herself smiling, joyful that Hiccup cared so much for her daughter. She would quietly root for the boy for sure during the games.
“Very well, Hiccup, if that is what ye wish.” Elinor replied, and the gathering was adjourned, allowing each clansman to retreat to their clan’s settlement outside the castle. Valka caught Elinor’s eye and winked, knowing Elinor was secretly cheering for her son. Elinor playfully scowled at her, discreetly gesturing them to retreat to Elinor’s study. Valka followed, making sure no one else saw her. The two women locked themselves in the study, taking seats at the table and pouring water for the both of them, Elinor crossing her arms with a look of disapproval, but her eyes shining in mirth betrayed her.
“Ye know I told ye years ago she would marry a Celt.” Elinor reminded her. Valka shrugged.
“You did, but I also know you have a soft spot for Merida’s happiness and knew my charming son would convince you otherwise to let him compete.” Valka replied smoothly, playfully smirking.
“Ye sound so confident that Hiccup will win.” Elinor quipped back, and Valka laughed.
“Oh, come now, Elinor! You saw those other boys! Hiccup will wipe the floor with them no problem.” Valka proclaimed having complete faith in her son’s skill. “No, the games aren’t the real challenge and you know it.”
“What’s Hiccup’s real challenge then?” Elinor played along, rolling her eyes.
“Having Merida fall for him, so she’ll say yes to marrying him.” Valka grinned.
“I was surprised he is giving her an option. When they were young, he was very adamant in his intentions for when they were older.” Elinor mused. Valka had a fond smile on her face.
“Yes, but children grow older and mature as does their affections. He loves her enough to let her be happy even if it’s without him—doesn’t mean he has to like it, but he’ll support it nonetheless because to him, Merida’s happiness is the most important thing.” Valka took a sip of her water.
“I hope ye understand I can’t pick favorites.” Elinor reminded her sternly. Valka looked innocent, but the knowing smirk on her face gave away this façade.
“In public yes, but not behind closed doors.” Valka told her, eyes glinting in mischief. Elinor felt the stern expression crack and a relieved smile came upon her face.
“To be honest, I’m glad ye showed up. Merida looked as if she was being sentenced to be executed.” Elinor winced at thinking about how Merida appeared as if she wanted to die as she sat in her chair while each heir presented themselves before Hiccup showed up. Valka patted her shoulder sympathetically.
“You’re trying your best. At least Merida has had you for her whole life. I left my son and he was shunned in his tribe until he changed their perspective when he first trained Toothless.” Valka said, guilt at her own abandonment of her child clenching her gut.
“Which reminds me, how did ye learn how to tame dragons? I thought yer village was for killing them.” Elinor asked. Valka smiled.
“Be prepared to be amazed at the story of how Hiccup became the Dragon Conqueror…”
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Merida tore off her wimple and dress, glad to be rid of the constricting fabric. She quickly placed on her dark blue casual dress, shaking her hair free of the wimple to get it back to its usual volume. She groaned, falling back towards her bed, staring up at the canopy.
“What a day!” Merida exhaled, massaging her temples. “What I wouldn’t give to go for a ride on Angus right now…”
“Would a ride on Toothless help?” a male voice asked.
Merida yelped, springing up and saw Hiccup hanging outside her window. She raced over and was surprised to see him casually riding Toothless who was hovering under her window. Hiccup winced.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You just seemed really frustrated before I showed up…” Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. Merida found the gesture cute.
“Shouldn’t ye be with yer tribe? Why come see me?” Merida asked, peering out the window to see if anyone spotted the dragon and his rider at her window, but no one was around. Hiccup looked shy.
“Well… it’s been years since we’ve seen each other. I’ve missed you…” he admitted shyly. Merida felt a pang of guilt in her chest. He clearly remembered her and all she could remember of him was a promise he made when they were young.
“I’m sorry, Hiccup, but I don’t really remember ye….” Merida confessed sadly. Hurt flashed onto Hiccup’s face before he masked it. His expression turned optimistic.
“The invitation for a ride still stands.” He told her, trying to not let his sadness show. Merida was tempted to go with him—to know more about this man, but she knew if she did, she’d be playing favorites. He seemed to notice her expression for he smirked, and Merida’s breath hitched. “Don’t tell me you finally started to follow the rules, Merida.” He teased.
His comment pushed her to grasp his hand firmly, her own smirk emerging on her face.
“If ye really knew me, ye’d know that’d never happen.” Merida remarked, and Hiccup pulled her onto Toothless, securing her in the second harness. Merida’s arms circled around him snugly and he had to fight the rush of happiness he felt at her touch.
“I always count on it.” Hiccup smirked, and placed his helmet on, finally taking off into the air.
Merida eyes took in the scenery on Hiccup’s dragon, her eyes wide with wonder the higher they flew. She gripped Hiccup tight, but not enough to constrict his breathing. They soared through the clouds and Merida reached a hand up to feel the mist between her fingertips. Laughter began to bubble in Merida’s throat and soon she was whooping in delight as they did twists and turns in the air.
“This is amazing!” Merida shouted, laughing in delight.
“You’ve seen nothing yet!” Hiccup told her. He leaned forward towards Toothless’s ear. “Let’s show her some real moves, bud!”
Toothless purred in agreement and they were off, flying even fast than before. Merida grinned as Hiccup and Toothless did flips and more elaborate tricks. Merida laughed boisterously, her hair whipping around her as she clutched securely onto Hiccup. She leaned her head forward, resting her forehead against his back, a gesture too intimate for strangers, but Merida found herself not caring as he flew her around.
Hiccup eventually lowered Toothless to on top of the Firefalls. Toothless sighed in happiness as he rolled around in the tall grass. Merida giggled at the dragon, finding him completely adorable. Hiccup watched her with a fond smile, and Merida felt herself trail off, a blush glowing on her cheeks. Hiccup could see he was making her flustered so he looked away and walked towards the edge of the falls, curious of how high they were. Merida watched him in interest, wondering what he was thinking. She walked over to him tentatively.
“I remember when we were little, and we said we’d climb the Firefalls and live at the top.” Hiccup finally spoke, chuckling at the memory, but soon a depressed expression came upon his face.
“Hiccup?” Merida called, reaching a hand to touch his arm, but felt she didn’t really have the right, and retracted her hand. Hiccup turned to her then.
“Do you really not remember me…?” he asked softly. Merida felt horrible. She wished she could remember everything about Hiccup in this moment. The words caught in her throat.
“I… I remember the promise ye gave me.” Merida averted her eyes, flushing, embarrassed to mention his declaration of wanting to marry her. Hiccup let out a laugh.
“Well at least that one stuck or else saying that at your gathering today would’ve confused you and probably freaked you out.” Hiccup said with relief. Merida smiled at him.
“At first, I thought I created a fantasy to save me from my arranged marriage, but then when ye came… it was like gaining a part of me back that I’ve lost years ago and didn’t know why…” Merida told him. She stepped forward and tentatively brushed her fingers with his. Hiccup didn’t make a move to hold her hand, letting her call the shots. He did however, brush his fingers back to let her know he didn’t mind her touch. Merida felt a rush of heat in her body at his touch but didn’t let it show.
“I’m glad.” Hiccup responded, staring down at her fondly. Merida felt her heart do summersaults.
“Tell me about our childhood, Hiccup.” Merida pleaded, taking a hold of his hand and bringing it close to her heart. “I want to know everything about our childhood together, and what has happened to ye while we were apart. I want to remember everything…” Merida beseeched him as she gazed into his eyes. More than anything Merida wanted to remember this boy. When she stared at him like that, Hiccup knew he couldn’t deny her anything, and clutched her hand, gently leading her back to where Toothless lay. They each sat down in the grass, not letting go of each other’s hand.
“Well, you heard how our parents met, but a few years after that, you and I were both born. So, naturally my dad and mom brought me to DunBroch when summer would come when were we both babies.” Hiccup began, lazily stroking her hand with his thumb. His touch sent sparks under her skin.
“So we were always friends?” Merida leaned forward eagerly, enraptured in the story already. Hiccup laughed.
“No way! My Mom put me in your crib and you tried shoving me out. It wasn’t until you we were two that you had bad nightmares and I climbed into your bed to calm you that we became friends.” Hiccup replied.
“Ye remember that far back?” Merida asked amazed. Hiccup shook his head, smiling.
“No, but that is what my Mom would tell me when I asked how we became friends. I just remember you dragging me around all the time after that and being joined at the hip with you.” Hiccup laughed. Merida found herself grinning with him.
“What was yer first memory of us?” Merida urged, excited to hear more. Hiccup smiled affectionately at her while caressing her hand. Merida tried to quell the butterflies in her stomach, but it was fruitless.
“I remember when we were four and you and I stole a shield from the armory to sled down the hills to the shore of the loch because I told you about sledding in Berk in wintertime and you wanted to try it.” Hiccup said. He then winced, “though we didn’t account for rocks and you and I ended up getting flung into the loch instead…”
“Oh, my Ma must’ve been mad that we were all dirty!” Merida laughed. Hiccup grinned boyishly.
“She definitely wasn’t happy we ruined your new dress. We got dessert taken away for a week as punishment. You didn’t like that, so you figured out how to sneak us into the kitchen every night after our parents went to sleep to steal some apple cake.” Hiccup added, eyes twinkling in amusement.
“That definitely sounds like me!” Merida laughed, not realizing she started caressing his hand, so at ease with this young man. “My Da says I was a hellion when I was young!”
“I doubt that has changed.” Hiccup teased, and Merida shoved him with her free hand. Hiccup looked positively ecstatic at how she was acting. It was like they were picking up right where they left off from the last time they saw each other.
“Shut it, you ninny! I bet ye haven’t changed much from being a scrawny toothpick!” Merida shouted at him, grinning. They both froze, realizing what she said. Merida stared into Hiccup’s eyes and sure enough, images of his younger self seemed to emerge inside her mind. “I… remember a bit! I remember ye always needing me to beat up bullies cause ye were so tiny!” Merida exclaimed in happiness. Hiccup grimaced.
“I was hoping those were one of the things you didn’t remember…” Hiccup groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Merida giggled.
“Ye were so tiny, I was afraid ye’d break one day.” Merida continued as more memories began flooding her mind.
“That didn’t stop you from handling me roughly.” Hiccup rolled his eyes, but you could see the grin on his face at the memories they had.
“I guess I was always dragging ye off on another adventure.” Merida said, vaguely recalling a young Hiccup being pulled by his arm as she yanked him along to cause mischief.
“Your mom was hoping I would be a good influence on you, but it backfired badly. You ended up being a bad influence on me.” Hiccup chuckled. Merida joined in his laughter.
“Why did it stop? Those summer visits I mean…” Merida asked, not getting why her and Hiccup lost touch. Hiccup appeared gloomy.
“When my mom went missing during a dragon raid, and dragon attacks were becoming more frequent, my dad couldn’t afford to leave the village for so long unprotected.” Hiccup explained sadly. “Leaving you for the final time was the worst day of my life…” he whispered, moving a stray curl of hers out of the way of her face, gazing into her eyes.
Merida imagined a young Hiccup watching her grow farther and farther away as he sailed back to Berk. She wondered what was going through his mind when he watched her waving goodbye to him. She felt the urge to embrace him tightly to rid of his sadness, but held it in. However, she unconsciously moved closer to him, wanting to be nearer.
“Then… when did ye say… ye know…” Merida muttered, averting her eyes and letting her hair shield her face. Hiccup pretended to look confused.
“What do you mean, sváss?” he asked, having the urge to tease her so he played dumb. Merida peaked up at him through her voluminous hair, glaring.
“Yer really going to make me say it?” she hissed, embarrassed. Hiccup could see the glow of her blush even through peaks of her hair.
“Say what?” Hiccup gave her a placating smile. Merida shot her head up, her entire face red with embarrassment, and glared at him, her eyes sparking like a fire.
“That ye’d marry me, ye ninny!” she snapped at him, and Hiccup couldn’t contain his laughter, doubling over as Merida glared harder.
“You’re so adorable! You are embarrassed by me wanting to marry you!” Hiccup continue to laugh. Merida shoved him, pouncing on him to hit his chest. Hiccup laid on his back in the grass, shocked that Merida would fling herself on him. Merida seemed to have realized she was straddling him and ceased her assault, staring down at him with wide eyes, her mouth going dry.
It was as if he was under a spell, and Hiccup reached up to cup her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. Merida nuzzled into his hand, reaching down to cup his face, her fingers trailing his chest up to his cheek. He swallowed, mindful of the position they were in. They weren’t children anymore. A position like this was meant for two people who were more intimate than friends…
Their heartbeats were pounding quickly against both of their ribcages. Merida leaned down, and for a second Hiccup thought she was going to kiss him, but instead she touched his forehead with hers, sighing contently. Hiccup couldn’t help but shudder in bliss. He had always dreamed of being this close to Merida when he would see her again, but his dreams couldn’t compare to the actual experience. Her fiery curls were a curtain around them and he breathed in her familiar scent of wildflowers.
“We were six years old…” he whispered. Merida didn’t move, but he could tell she was listening intently. “We were cloud-watching, talking about exploring the world. It was my last summer with you after Mom disappeared, and I doubted I’d ever see you again. You just laughed and said you knew I would always come back to you and you would prove it by waiting forever if you had to.” He stared up at her with such earnest affection that it made her breathless. “I knew then I never wanted to leave you ever again, and I would do whatever it took to spend the rest of my life with you.” He confessed softly, stroking her cheek, his heart ramming against his ribcage.
Merida stared into his emerald eyes shining in adoration only for her. She was mesmerized by his words and the way he gazed at her. Everything about him seemed to pull her in and she found herself not minding at all.
“And if I say no?” she whispered, afraid to shatter the moment. Hiccup just smiled at her tenderly.
“Then I will be happy with whomever you choose, even if it’s not with me.” He said simply.
“What if I don’t ever want to get married?” Merida asked.
“Then I’ll still support you and be your best friend. As long as you’re happy, I’ll support your choice.” Hiccup responded. Merida felt her lip quiver, touched by his selflessness, and embraced him tightly. Hiccup held her close, reveling in the fact that he was holding her at last.
Merida pulled away from him, grinning bashfully, and climbed off of him. Hiccup missed her warmth but didn’t dare push her to do what he wanted. Merida wiped some tears from her eyes, and she gave him a happy smile.
“So, Dragon King, what has happened since I’ve last seen ye…?”
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Here’s a second installment in the Old Friends series! I hope you guys liked it. I might do another one for this series if people really want.
(Fort he prompt Black and White, though the black bit doesn’t come till the end, but, whatever . . . lol)
Merida slowly peeked around the tree. There, lying on the ground and moaning in pain was a white dragon. Merida was ready to draw her bow, just in case, though her hand rested upon the satchel that carried supplies. A wounded animal wasn’t going to take too kindly to aid for fear of it being an attack. Merida nervously readjusted her bow, gave a look to Angus before letting out a breath and advanced slowly towards the dragon. The dragon paused in its moaning when Merida stepped on a stick. It scanned the area before its eyes narrowed as they rested on Merida. It let out a warning growl as Merida took another step closer.
Merida held out her hands. “It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you.” She slowly opened the satchel and pulled out some medical supplies. “I want to help you.”
The dragon stopped growling, but watched her approach suspiciously. Merida didn’t pay attention to it, though she knew the dragon still didn’t trust her yet. Once Merida reached the dragon, she picked up the foot that looked to be hurting and clicked her tongue.
“Wowee, boy, that splinter is pretty big!” blurted Merida. The dragon let out a huff. “I know, I know, this is going to hurt a bit . . . well, quite a bit.” The dragon let out a huff as if to say ‘no kidding’. “Now stay still,” remarked Merida as she gently lifted the dragon’s leg to get a better look at the splinter. She let out a breath before working quickly to make the dragon as comfortable as possible before turning her attention to the splinter. She quickly pulled out the splinter, the dragon only letting out a growl in pain. Merida quickly bandaged it.
“There, all done,” she told the dragon as she rose and patted its shoulder. “Now, you just rest a while. I’ll help you find a hiding spot and I’ll fish for ya.”
The dragon seemed to purr and nudged Merida.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered. “Now, let’s go find an appropriate place to hide ya. Won’t be easy since you’re all white.” The dragon huffed but it rose to follow her, only to come crashing down again with a howl of pain. Merida rushed to its side to find out what else was wrong. “Oh, you poor lamb, you twisted your ankle too?” The dragon merely whimpered in pain as Merida very gently rotated the leg. “Yes, you did. Angus!” The huge horse galloped over, though hesitant to approach an obvious predator. “I’m going to need your help.” The horse seemed to eye her like she was crazy. Instead, Merida turned to the dragon. “And I’m going to need ya to never eat my horse. I’ll fish for ya, but no horse!” The dragon nodded as if in agreement. It still took a little while for Angus to get close enough to the dragon so that Merida could lay the wounded leg across his back, but finally, they went looking for a place large enough and camouflaged enough to hide a white dragon. Merida found a place near the ring of stones, a perfect place, she thought, as it would be easy for her to find later.
Once she got the dragon all situated, she went out fishing and brought back a basket full of fish.
“Now, I don’t know if this is enough for ya,” she told the dragon as she dumped the fish on the floor, “but it should do for now.” The dragon nodded, though Merida wasn’t sure if the dragon meant that it would do for now, or that it was enough to fill its stomach. “Wait, can you understand me?” The dragon nodded again. “How is that possible?” The dragon looked at her oddly. “Oh, um, never mind. Well, I’ve got to get back home. I’ll bring you some more supplies tomorrow and I’ll see about fixing this up a bit better. Thankfully, it’s going to start snowing soon. That should be able to hide you better.” Merida paused. “Which also means I’m going to have to store food for ya to last the winter.” She let out a breath. “This is going to take a while.”
When Merida finally left, the dragon was mostly fed and sound asleep. There was also the beginnings of a stock of food piled away in a sectioned off part of the hideout. Merida made the dragon promise not to eat any of it until winter had come, and in turn promised to return the next day to get more food.
The next day, when Merida returned as she had promised, she found that the dragon had not eaten the stored food, as it had promised.
“Well, good, ya can keep promises.” Merida nodded with approval. “I’ll go and get ya some more fish to eat, and some to store.” The dragon nodded before curling up and closing its eyes. Merida turned to walk out of the hiding place, but paused and turned back around to the dragon. “Ya know what,” she began. The dragon raised its head in anticipation. “I should come up with a name for ya.” The dragon tilted its head. “Are ya a boy?” The dragon shook its head. “A girl then, huh? Wonderful! Now I’ll just have to think of something.” She paused for a bit before shrugging. “I’ll think of something while I’m out. See you soon!”
Merida thought long and hard as she caught fish after fish with her arrows. What girl name would be good for a white dragon? Merida’s own name meant pearl, but she wasn’t going to give the dragon her own name, that would be silly. She began to think about names that meant light, white, snow, or fire, but none of them seemed to fit. Then she turned to the names of the goddesses, but the only ones that really seemed to fit were Morrigan and Brigit, but of the two, Morrigan seemed more for a black dragon than a white due to the ravens that often accompanied her. Heck, it was known that on occasion, Morrigan would turn into a raven herself. Merida gave a curt nod as she gathered the fish. Brigit it would be. She was a rather powerful goddess, a perfect name for a powerful dragon.
“Hey, how about Brigit?” blurted Merida upon entering the hideout. The dragon’s head popped up upon her noisy entrance. She relaxed a bit and tilted her head curiously. Merida quickly explained about the goddess Brigit to the dragon. The Dragon seemed to ponder for a few moments while Merida began preparing fish for storage before nodding slowly. “You like it?” The dragon nodded more confidently this time. Merida threw her arms around its neck. “Wonderful! Now you have a name! Brigit. It suits you. Well Brigit, let me see that leg.” The dragon rolled over ever so slightly, and Merida checked over the leg, rebandaging it once she was done.
“Well, looks like you’re going to have to be off that leg for a while,” came Merida’s diagnosis with a sigh. “At least it’s not shattered. Looks like you’re going to be here a while.” Brigit purred and nuzzled her. “You like being here? Well, I like you being here too, Brigit. But there’s still a lot to be done to get you ready for winter. I’ll go get you some more fish for dinner and call it a day, alright?” Brigit nodded and smiled widely.
It became routine; Merida would go hunting for fish in the morning and the afternoon. She’d give some to Brigit to eat and the rest was prepared for storage. While Merida prepared the fish, she told Brigit everything and tried her best to understand the dragon. They quickly became fast friends.
Days soon faded into weeks, then months, and falling leaves gave way to falling snow. When Merida wasn’t stuck at home worried sick about Brigit’s safety in a snow storm, she was riding out to check up on her. But Merida needn’t have worried, she had insulated the hideout so well that Brigit was as snug as a bug in a rug. From then on, Merida only came to check up on the food supply. Brigit made sure it lasted as she hibernated for most of the winter.
When spring finally came around, Brigit was tired of the hideout and would follow Merida to the fishing hole. Merida would just feed her the fish right there and prepared the rest. With Brigit’s help, she lugged the extra fish and that evening’s dinner back to the hideout. They kept to the same routine during the summer and autumn, but when winter rolled around again, Brigit had more stored up, though she still mostly hibernated.
Finally, when spring came back around, Brigit found that her leg had fully healed. In gratitude, she gave Merida a ride on her back, but seemed to made it fairly clear she had to leave. They made tearful goodbyes and Brigit promised to return before she flew off north.
Merida spent a few days moping, and having told no one that she had taken care of a dragon, she merely explained, when asked what was wrong, that she had befriended an animal, and the animal had left. No one pressed her for more information as they all assumed it had been a bear, and Merida made no comment to correct them.
One day, in late summer, Merida was out riding, enjoying some much needed fresh air after being cooped up in the castle with the clan meetings when she passed by the hideout. It didn’t look any different than when she left it, but it felt like she and Brigit had parted ways so long ago. She ducked into the hideout to reminisce on those days when she heard the faint beating of wings. As they grew louder, her eyes grew wider before dashing out of the hideout.
“Brigit!” A roar answered her as a white body knocked her to the ground and began licking her. Merida let out a squeal of laughter. “Brigit! Enough!” As soon as Brigit paused, Merida quickly jumped to her feet and gave the dragon, wel, a bear hug. “Oh, brigit, it’s so good to see you!” Brigit cooed something before another roar reached Merida’s ears. “Ooh, did you bring your boyfriend?” teased Merida. Brigit snorted, causing Merida to laugh along with her.
Merida paused as the second dragon, a black version of Brigit, landed behind Brigit. The black dragon had not come alone, a figure rode on his back. She realized with a start what kind of clothes the figure was wearing.
“You’re a Viking?” she whispered, casting Brigit a worried look. But Brigit seemed completely relaxed, so Merida made no move to reach for her bow. Still, she couldn’t be too careful. She watched as the figure dismounted the black dragon and pulled off the helmet. Merida’s mouth just about dropped in surprise. Standing before her was one handsome fellow, lean and tall, with an intelligent look in his green eyes. There was a tiny braid in his auburn hair, but otherwise, it was allowed to hang loose around his face. It looked really good on him. Merida quickly snapped herself out of subconsciously checking him out. The clans would no doubt throw a fit if she ever let out she thought a Viking better looking than her options for suitors. She looked at his face, and noticed he averted his eyes. Had he been checking her out too?
“Who, who are you?” Merida paused and let out a sigh. “Who am I kidding, you probably can’t even understand me!”
“Um, hi, I’m Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk,” said the Viking as he held out his hand.
Merida stared at him in shock. “Wait, you can understand me?”
“Um, yes, uh, I think we need to talk.”
“I think we definitely should, and I think you’d better tell my parents too. Come on.”
“Wait, what? Why your parents?”
“Oh, right, I’m sorry, I forgot. Let me introduce myself, I’m Merida Dunbroch, princess of Scotland. Now do you understand why you need to talk to my parents?”
“Thoroughly. Lead the way, your highness.”
Merida did lead the way, but not just to the castle, she also led the way to an alliance with Berk. But it was the dragons, the Nighfury and the Lightfury, that led the way to their hearts.
