Brave

Chapter 1: Introduction

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In the middle of the forest, the royal family was having a day out. The flag of Dunbroch flowed in the wind on top of one of their tents.

"Where are you? Come out! Come out!" Queen Elinor was walking around the table looking for her son. "Come on out! I'm coming to get you!" She called.

A little boy with wild curly red locks was hiding under that table, giggling. This was Prince Merid.

"Where are you, you little rascal. I'm coming to get you!" Elinor called, looking under the table, only to see that no one was there.

"Hm. Where is my little birthday boy, hm?"

The boy was now hiding behind a shield.

"I'm going to gobble him up when I find him." She growled playfully.

The boy tried to sneak up behind her, but she caught him and pulled him into her lap, as he laughed.

"I'm going to eat you. I am." Queen Elinor announced pretending to eat her son.

Just then, her husband King Fergus came over and placed his bow on the table.

"Och, Fergus, no weapons on the table." She scolded.

"Can I shoot an arrow? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I?" The little boy asked, wiggling out of his mother's grip and picking up his father's bow. "Please? Can I?" He begged, falling down from the weight of the bow.

"Not with that. Why not...use your very own?" Fergus exclaimed, pulling out a small bow from behind his back. The boy gasped in excitement. "Happy Birthday, my wee lad!"

The three stood in front of the target, which had a bunch of arrows in front of it from failed attempts.

"Now, there's a good lad. Draw it all the way back now to your cheek." Merid did as he was told, while his father knelt next to him showing him what to do and his mother stood behind them, making sure nothing happened to him. "That's right. Keep both eyes open, and, loose!"

Merid's arrow went way over the target and into the woods.

"I missed." He said, defeated.

"Go and fetch it, then." Elinor told him.

When Merid ran off to go retrieve his arrow, Eleanor turned to Fergus and gave him a scolding look.

"A bow, Fergus? He's a gentleman." She said sternly.

Fergus reached behind her and grabbed her butt, causing Elinor to gasp and scold him.

"Ooh! You!" She hit his side, but he just laughed.

....

Merid ran through the woods happily looking for his arrow. His wild red hair bouncing everywhere as he ran. He stopped running and looked around the forest, admiring how beautiful it was.

He looked around some more before letting out an excited gasp. The arrow he shot was sticking out of a tree a few feet in front of him. He grabbed the arrow and pulled it out of the tree. Some rustling noises could be heard in the distance making the boy clutch the arrow to his chest in fear.

Suddenly, he heard a high pitched call coming from behind him. He turned around and saw a tiny blue creature floating behind him.

"A will-o'-the-wisp." He breathed. Merid ran over to the wisp and reached out to touch it, but before he could, it disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

"They are real." He whispered to himself.

He looked around and saw a trail of them leading off into the forest. Excited, he followed the trail of wisps. They led him to a small clearing.

A loud giggle was heard and Merid hid behind a tree, not knowing who was there. He peeked out and saw that a little girl had also followed the wisps. She had (h/l) (h/c) hair, smooth (s/c) skin, and beautiful bright (e/c) eyes. Merid slowly walked out from behind the tree and over to the girl. On his way over, he stepped on a twig, making a snapping sound. The girl spun around with a scared look on her face.

"Hello." Merid said. The girl shyly took a step back.

"Wait! Don't go. My name is Merid. What's yours?" He asked.

"(Y-Y/n)" she answered quietly.

"Where are your parents? Are you lost?" Merid wondered.

The little girl frowned, and tears welled up in her eyes. "They're gone."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Merid said. "Would you like to come with me? You could live with my family."

The girl thought for a moment, before slowly nodding her head. Merid held out his hand for her. She placed her hand in his, and he led her back to his parents.

...

"Merid, come along sweetie. We're leaving now." His mother called. Merid appeared out of the forest dragging (Y/n) along with him.

"Merid, who is this?" Elinor asked.

"This is (Y/n). She's my friend. She doesn't have any family. Can she stay with us? Please?" Merid begged.

Elinor and Fergus shared a look. "Well, I don't see why not..." Fergus said. "How did you even find this girl lad?"

"I saw a wisp. I saw a wisp. They led me to her." Merid announced.

"A wisp? You know, some say that the will-o'-the-wisps lead you to your fate." Elinor told them.

"Oh, aye. Or an arrow." Fergus said, sarcastically.

"Och!" Elinor scoffed.

"Come on, let's be off before we see a dancing Tatty Bogle. Or a giant having a jigger in the bluebells." He mocked.

Elinor picked up the two children, and placed them on each of her hips. "Your father doesn't believe in magic." She told Merid.

"Well, he should. Because it's true." Merid stated.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the three of them, and (Y/n) let out a loud scream. A giant black bear, twice the size of Elinor loomed over the three. Fergus turned around upon hearing the scream, his eyes wide.

"Mor'du! Elinor, run!" Fergus shouted.

A guard tossed Fergus a spear, as he and other guards charged at the bear. Fergus went to stab him with a spear, but Mor'du broke it with one swipe of his paw. Fergus threw away the broken spear and drew his sword. Merid and (Y/n) watched as Elinor rode away on horseback.

"Come on you!" Fergus shouted, and Mor'du lunged at him.

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