You Changed my Fate

One Step Closer. Maybe not.

The stores were gathered around a small area, tents and small brick/stone buildings were smushed close together. Dim lanterns lit the darkened skies, as two small shadows could be seen.

The redhead covered herself with her woven cloak as the auburn haired boy was stuck getting drenched in the pouring rain. Thunder clapped throughout the sky as a light flickered in the distance.

"Whatd'ya need anyway? Ah mean comin' all tha way ta Scotland, fer wha'?" Hiccup's head faced down to watch his boots (well, boot) mush against the mud. "Well, I was also running away from my home. I guess I got caught in this storm and Toothless's prosthetic tail got torn, causing us to crash."

Merida winced at the word 'crash'. "So, yer dragon, Toothy--" "Toothless." "--Right, right. Toothless has a prosthetic tail because, why?"

"Well, I found him--shot down. His tail --well part of his tail was gone. So, I made him one."

"Made 'im one?"
"Yeah, yeah. Back home I wasn't a fighter--" "Ah can see tha'." Hiccup silently glared at Merida, but continued,"I used my free time helping the blacksmith make and repair weapons."
"Ah see, so 'ere is the smiths, persuade tha' owner and he migh' jus' give ye acceptance ta work in there."

She smushed her words together as she pushed him into smithery. Hiccup used his heels to dig into mud. His fur boots slipped through the mud making him fall out of Merida's grip. He fell right on his bottom making him groan.

Merida's hand swung to her mouth as she covered the sounds of her laughter. Hiccup turned to face her and glared, making Merida's laughter continue.

The blacksmith exited his tent to find a small scrawny boy fuming, while the princess seemed to be enjoying herself. But once Merida spotted the elderly man, she abruptly stopped.

He opened his mouth to speak kind words, but the princess made a signal to zip his lips. He followed the order and did not say another word.

Merida cleared her throat and faced Hiccup, who still had his face as red as a freshly picked apple. "Ahem, so Hiccup. Ah'd like ye ta meet tha blacksmith, Trahern."

Hiccup quickly stood and brushed himself off. "Trahern? Where does that come from?" Trahern faced the young boy and proceeded with words,"Et's Welsh. Supposed to mean 'strong as iron'. Unfortunately, Ah haven't really lived up ta tha'."

Trahern, was a very old man. His hair fully taken over with gray, as he seemed to be a little less skinner than Hiccup. His eyes were blue, but not as bright and colorful as Merida's. His clothes were dirtied and his boots covered in ash and mud.

"Prin--" Merida made the motion again, not wanting Hiccup to find out her secrets. Trahern started his sentence again,"Ma'am, why have ye brought this boy ta ma work?"

Merida looked at Hiccup,"He seeks work, his pockets are empty." Hiccup glared at her, then turned to Trahern,"I special in smithery, I can make lots of objects and useful weaponry."

Trahern scanned the boy, then searched Merida's signal of approval. Once earning a nod of agreement, he motioned them inside.

The tent held a big amount of area. The fire, which was kept alive from the coal stored next to it, lit up the place. It brought in the smell of the nearby woods and the warmth of a very heavy warmed cloak.

Hiccup searched the area for tools, mechanisms that could be very useful to him. Trahern watched him pace around the sheltered place as he snatched items and placed them onto an empty table.

Trahern bent down to whisper into Merida's ears so she, and only she could hear the words he spoke. "Princess, mind telling me exactly why ye brought 'im hear?"

Merida hummed quietly to herself, then answered the former blacksmith's question,"Ah found 'im, he said he needed ta work on somethin' so he could travel home safely." Trahern suspiciously faced the boy,"And where is his home exactly?"

Merida only shrugged,"Never told me." Suddenly, the bells from the castle rang loudly. Signaling dinner time for the land and royal family. The sound buzzed through the air, vibrating most of the object in the tent.

Hiccup, who was totally unaware of the ringing bell, continued on his work. He screwed bolts together, rummaged through the place for strong gripped leather and more.

Trahern faced the princess,"Go, Ah'll keep lookin' after 'im." Merida smiled warmly and raced off, dashing through the slippery mud to her royal home.

Hiccup was suddenly felt a slap on his back. He almost fell from the impact, but caught himself. He turned to see Trahern smiling down at his unfinished creation. "What'dya makin'?" Hiccup spluttered out words, but the blacksmith cut him off from his rambling.

"Nevermind tha'." He said, pushing all the materials off the table. Hiccup watched his only way home fall into the coal-powered fire.

Trahern dropped a pile of broken and dented weapons. "Since ye werk for me now, you'll do ma werk, not yers."

Hiccup sighed, having the feeling of smashing his head against the table. But with the weapons on there, he made the smart decision not to.

As Hiccup carried a heavy, dull and dented sword over to the repair machine, he could only think of how far he'd gotten. Only to be pushed back to square one.

Wait, where did Merida go?

A/N: Sorry for taking so long, but I finally finished the chapter! Yay! I actually forgot that I made this story after the Red Death incident, so sorry if I didn't add Hiccup's metal leg into this part. New chapter might take awhile, but I'll do my best! Enjoy! ~Rain