Guardians Rising

12: Healer

They ran through the forest after the wisps. After a few moments, they could no longer hear the sound of beating hooves behind them. The four of them, along with Toothless, collapsed on the rough ground. They were silent for a moment, then Merida sighed and said, "We'd better keep following the wisps." No one answered, but they all got up and began moving after the magical creatures, though rather slower than before.

After hours of quiet walking, Rapunzel said, "Wow, its almost noon, and we haven't had anything to eat."

"What," replied Jack, "hungry already?" In truth, he himself was starving, but he hadn't wanted to be the first to admit it. So, he was glad when, a few minutes later, they decided to stop for a bite to eat. Merida pulled out a couple of apples she had stowed in a small food bag, Hiccup brought some meager snacks of jerky from Toothless's saddlebags (he now remembered why he liked sudden-attack training), and Rapunzel and Jack just had to live with what the others shared.

"Oh," said Rapunzel. She looked forlornly at the trail of will o' the wisps, which led right over the hill and then who knew how far.

"Well," said Hiccup as they finished the last of what they were going to eat (which wasn't nearly enough), "shall we keep moving?"

"Sure," Merida replied instantly, "but where to? We've been walkin' most of the mornin'!"

"Now, wait a minute," said Hiccup with a sudden edge to his voice, "I thought you said the wisps would lead us somewhere!" Merida glared at him.

"Somewhere, yes. But they might just as well be leading us to the Loch Ness as to a good place!"

"Well," said Rapunzel, trying to calm them down, "we could just go back to Merida's castle and-"

"No," said Jack instantly. They all looked at him. "We don't want to lead the nightmares there," he explained. "They'd destroy everything."

"Oh," said Merida, "that's just great. Now I guess we just follow Captain Haddock and the wisps." Hiccup gave her a reproachful glare at the unwarranted nickname, but replied,

"That's a good plan, Little Red Riding Hood." Merida glared back at him, then, without a word, began walking once more.

>>>>>

The light was fading as the four of them reached the small pond the wisps had led them to. "Finally!" exclaimed Rapunzel. "My legs are killing me!" She sat down on a large rock and started rubbing her legs. Hiccup and Merida didn't hear her complaint.

"See," said Merida, " I told y' they'd lead us to the middle a' nowhere!"

"Maybe there's more to this place than meets the eye," replied Hiccup.

"Like what!?" Merida practically shouted.

"Hey, shout a bit louder, why don't you?" said Jack. "Maybe we can get all the nightmares to come by!" Merida and Hiccup fell silent, though they still raked each other with distasteful glares. "Now-" Jack was interrupted by Rapunzel.

"Uh, Merida," she said nervously. Merida turned to look at her and saw three unusually bright wisps floating in the air before seated girl. 

"I've never seen them do that before," whispered Merida. At the sound of her voice, the wisps suddenly started, looking like they had been wakened from a deep sleep. They seemed to be looking straight at Rapunzel, but she did not appear frightened or concerned in any way. I wonder what's up, thought Hiccup. He soon got his answer. Merida looked at the two boys beside her, and whispered, "Come back, farther back."

They obeyed her and shuffled backward to the edge of the trees and watched. A few long moments later, Rapunzel started murmuring a tune, then to sing softly.

"Flower, gleam and glow, Let your power shine . . . " The other three watched speechless as they saw a change coming over her. "Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine."

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