Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons

Chapter 4-Not Going Back

This is ten years later from when Merida and Hiccup were children. So, Rapunzel and Jack's story (in the last chapter) is happening at the same time as this. Same time. Different Stories.

Merida's father actually has both of his legs. He's just telling the story for fun.

Hiccup has his foot. There is no Astrid. But, he still has Toothless.

So yeah, everyone's got both legs.

Enjoy!

"We must be willing to pay a price for freedom."

~H. L. Mencken

10 years later

Merida walked into her kitchen. Her family was all sitting, awaitnig their dinner; her father at the head of the table, her mother to the right of him, and her three brothers all sitting in a line. She hiked a large bow off her shoulder and dropped it on the table.

Elinor looked at her disapprovingly. "Merida, a ladeh disnae place 'er weapon oan th' table."

Merida rolled her eyes and sat down at the other end of the table.

She watched her father as he was telling his sons a story,

"Ah saw somethin' 'at day, somethin' i'll nae forgit. It stands 50 feit taa, wi' razur sharp teeth. It's th' unholy offsprin' ay lightnin' an' death itself. Ah drew mah sword an'...""

Merida joined into her father's fable. "CHOMP! Dad's leg was clean off!"

"Awwwwww... that's mah favorite part!" Fergus whined.

Merida and her little brothers all laughed. Elinor looked less than amused.

"Fergus, quit fillin' their heeds wi' fiction. Merida, whit did ah say abit 'at weapon? "

"Mom… it's jist mah bow!"

Elinor look at her daughter, exhausted from her stubbornness, "A princess shoods nae hae weapons in mah opinion."

Merida stood up from her chair in anger and stared down her mother.

Elinor calmly sipped her water, kept her eyes focused on Merida, and steadily said, "Yer starin' isnae helpin' yer case."

"ARGH!" Merida scowled.

Trying to break up the feud, Fergus interjected.

"Weel, that's jist grain, isnae it? Merida, guess who's comin' tae dinner!"

"Anither pointless suitur?" she sarcastically questioned, huffing herself into her chair.

"Merida…" her mother warned.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is comin' tae visit. Ye know who aam talkin' abit. Th'... uh... och!"

Merida glared at her father, wondering where he was going with his words.

"Th' boy ye played in th' snaw wit' when ye waur a wee lassie!"

Merida thought back. All she could remember of the boy is that she bruised his cheeks with the snowballs she threw.

"An' why is hiccup comin'?" she asked, trying to remain as innocent as possible.

Elinor cleared her throat. "He will be one of th' lads fightin' fur yer hain in marriage."

Merida moaned and hit her head on the table in frustration.

"Merida, a princess stri'es fur perfection. She disnae bang 'er heed against th' table."

This infuriated Merida. She pushed herself out of her chair and pounded her fist against the hard wooden surface of the table.

"Weel, mebbe ah dornt want tae be a princess. Mebbe ah jist want mah freedom!"

Elinor looked at her daughter and calmly queried, "But ur ye willin' tae pay th' price yer freedom will cost?"

That was it! Merida was done. She ran outside enraged. She didn't want to get married. She didn't want to be royalty. She wanted to be free. But how?

Merida knew what she had to do. She had to leave and not look back.

"Tonight," she thought.

Merida began to pack her things.

"Tonight," she planned "I will finally be free."

"Look around Merida," she told herself "Cause you're not coming back."

"Hiccup?" Stoick yelled out for his son, "Hiccup whaur ur ye?"

"Coming dad! What's going on?" Hiccup questioned.

"Hiccup." He placed his large hand on his son's shoulder. This made Hiccup skeptical of his father's affections. "When ye waur a yoong lad, ah made a collaboration wi' th' Kin' an' Queen. We agreed 'at when it was time fur thaur dochter tae fin' a husband, 'at ye woods be a participant in fightin' fur 'er haind. Weel, th' fight is tonecht, an' ah want tae ensure 'at ye ur aw guid an' ready. We need tae fix aw ay thes... "

"You just gestured to all of me."

Stoick sighed, "Ah know."

"You know what dad, I'm pretty sure that the princess wouldn't like me much anyway." Hiccup started walking around the room, looking for his saddle for Toothless.

Stoick walked up behind his son, forcing him to become immobile. He placed his hands on Hiccup's scrawny shoulders.

"Hiccup." He turned his son to face him. "Th' vikings ay berk, they need ye. Ah need ye. Thes alliance will doe so much fur us. An' look at ye hiccup! What's nae tae like?"

Stoick looked at his son, wondering if he could answer that question himself.

Hiccup stared into his father's pleading eyes. A wave of guilt overcame him.

"I'll go."

Stoick chucked and playfully slapped his son on the back.

"That's mah boy!"

Suddenly, Hiccup became slightly nauseous. He walked outside to get some fresh air.

"Hiccup? Whaur ur ye gonnae?" he heard his father ask.

"I'm just going to head to the palace now. Toothless is a little tired and he might be a little slower than usual so..."

Stoick nodded his head in approval. Hiccup could see how proud he was, which made Hiccup's nausea get even worse.

He couldn't do it. Fight for the princess? He'd make a fool out of himself! No. Hiccup knew what he had to do. He had to leave.

Sure, his father would be disappointed, but he would be even more ashamed if Hiccup embarrassed all of the people of Berk.

No one would miss him anyway.

Hiccup called out for his dragon. As Toothless flew to the ground, Hiccup mounted, and they flew into the sky.

"Look around, bud." He said to his pet "Cause we're not coming back."

Hiccup wandered around the forest with his dragon. He was searching for some flat-land to sleep on for the night. The sky was turning pitch black, but luckily the twinkling stars in the sky were brightening the view. Hiccup continued wandering, when abruptly, he heard someone… crying?

He walked toward the sobbing person, unsure if he should make contact. The only thing that Hiccup could see in the night was a mass of red coils. He warily reached out his hand to comfort the strange, but before they could touch, she turned to him.

Her pale skin was red and blotchy and her blue eyes looked strained. For some reason, she looked awfully familiar, but he couldn't see her enough to recognize her.

"Who- w-what?"

Hiccup responded to her unspecified question. "I'm Hiccup."

The girl slowly stood and took a step closer to Hiccup. This put her under the direct moonlight.

Wonder struck in Hiccup's voice. "Princess?"