Toothless landed not far from the ring of stones in Scotland. Björn stood just outside the ring. As soon as Merida slid off of the dragon, her bear bounded towards her and knocked her down.
Merida started laughing. "Ah, get off of me, ye great lump!" Björn rolled over and exposed his stomach. Hiccup smiled at the scene.
In the center of the circle of stones, dust stirred. "Merida," Hiccup said, "look in there."
She stopped wrestling with her bear and knelt up. Everyone's gazes were fixated on the dust.
Spinning in hundreds of directions, the dust rose and exploded, settling on the form of a woman laying supine on the ground. "It can't be..." Jack mumbled.
Her wild, curly hair lay around her face like a halo. Her hands were folded over her stomach, holding a skeleton lily. The selfsame flowers surrounded her. As more and more dust settled, the woman gained more and more color until they could see her black hair, red dress and gold-lined black cape. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped in a breath of air.
"Gothel," Merida grumbled. "I thought me and Jack took care of her two years ago."
"It doesn't seem like it, huh, Princess?"
White fog surrounded them, but would not enter into the circle of stones. Merida grabbed Hiccup's hand, her sword with the other.
"Langt í burtu , langt síðan," a woman's voice sang in a high soprano, "sorglegt saga af ást og vei . Því var hann Tristan og ég Isolde , Isolde af auðum höndum."
"Do you hear that?" Jack asked.
"I don't recognize the language," said Hiccup.
"Hann var ástfanginn Isolde gulu hári, gulleitu hárunum. Hann var ástfanginn Isolde gulu hári, gulleitu hárunum. Og eins og hann adventured, ég, Isolde af hvítum höndum, hvítar hendur, var einn eftir. Alone. Alone."
"It sounds... Sad," Merida whispered.
"Þau hittust á ævintýrum hans, svikarana eiginmaður. Að hann vissi ekki að ég elskaði hann svo, elska hann svo. Og þegar það þat ekki ætlað að vera, er ætlað að vera, drap hann sig út úr sorg.
"En ég, Isolde af auðum höndum, var trúr konu sína, til loka, enda, enda."
A woman, with long brown hair, came into view, clutching a shawl, dressed in white silks and satin. She was almost paler than the fog. She looked up at the small group of friends.
"Come!" she cried. "Join me tonight! For tonight we shall have a feast that has never before been tasted on this earth, for it is pleasing to the stomach."
"Um..." Hiccup said. The woman smiled.
"Come, friends! And we shall sing and dance until the Moon sleeps! I shall not harm you, see? My hands are white and pure." She held up her hands.
"But we don't know yer name!" Merida called out.
The woman beamed. "Isolde! Isolde of the White Hands! Come, come, join me at my hearth." She turned and walked towards the trees, the fog leaving with her. Both Björn and Toothless followed her.
"If the animals go," said Jack, "I say we go."
Without further prodding, Jack followed the two animals. Merida was still holding Hiccup's and when they followed suit.
* * *
The woman, Isolde, bustled around her small home made from a hollowed hill and dead tree. Her fire was roaring hot, and Jack was as close as he could be to it without melting. Hiccup and Merida were sitting closely on the floor between Jack and the fire.
YOU ARE READING
Winds of Change
Fanfiction***This is book two! Please read book one first! It's called "The Fearless Winds," and I suggest you read it right now! Thank you and have a WONDERFUL day! And, yes, I am rambling here just because if you haven't read book one the synopsis is going...
