Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons

A Stranger's Cabin - Chapter 9

"Ah... Let's go this way." Merida said, leading into a random direction and everyone followed her.

"Do you even know where you are going orangatan?" Jack asked, flying ahead of her but she just ignored him.

"Merida... Where are we going?" Hiccup asked and she turned to see him riding on Toothless.

"This way... I'm not sure where though." Merida replied and Jack eyes sparkled as he turned and mouthed something to Hiccup, who made Toothless blow a love heart around Jack and Rapunzel.

"Dragon Boy! Get off that dragon at once and come face me!" Jack yelled suddenly, making Rapunzel and Merida whirl around as he charged at Hiccup.

"What did I do?" Hiccup asked innocently as a bolt of ice flew over him.

"Jack! What are you doing!" Rapunzel said, grabbing Jack's staff and then pulling her hand back, shocked by the cold.

"Rapunzel..." Merida said weakly as Rapunzel fell to the ground.

"Rapunzel!" Jack yelled, forgetting about Hiccup and running over to Rapunzel confused, until he saw the ice on her hand.

"Bring the girl over here." A hissing voice said as a suddenly a cabin struck out in front of them.

"Ja... Merida. Pick up Rapunzel and take her to the cabin..." Hiccup commanded, jumping off Toothless and running to comfort Jack, who as cluching his staff like it was a poison he didn't want to use.

"I... Did I hurt her?" Jack asked Hiccup as Merida picked up Rapunzel and took her to the cabin.

"No... She is fine." Hiccup replied, touching Jack, who flinched, and leaded him towards the cabin.

"I hurt her... I know I did." Jack said but he willingly went with Hiccup into the cabin, where an old women was. She was singing something, that Jack recognised instantly.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine." The women sung, and Jack fell to the floor wondering how she knew.

"Her hair is glowing... Jack... Hiccup! It's glowing!" Merida said excitedly as the women, who was singing, grew younger. Rapunzel opened her eyes and the ice on her hand melted.

"Rapunzel. Are you OK?" Jack asked, staying his distance.

"Jack. Yea, I am." Rapunzel looked over at Jack, wondering if he was afraid of her.

"Now this is how it is going to work. I require some help." The women said, her eyes gazing over at them.

"Who are you?" Hiccup asked the women who just smiled.

"A name for a name. Who are you Dragon Boy."

"Mother?" Rapunzel whispered, Jack looking over at her.

"I'm Hiccup."

"And I am Gothel."

"Mother?" Rapunzel asked louder, making Hiccup and Merida look at her.

"It hasn't been that long, how didn't you recognise me instantly, Rapunzel?" Gothel asked and Jack tried to find any similarities between them, but couldn't find any.

"Mother..." Rapunzel said again and it was clear that she wasn't expecting to see her here.

"Rapunzel. Why did you leave the tower?"

"I didn't leave! I was kidnapped... I tried to defend myself!"

"By these people? That would be why you had fainted."

"Madam, I am sorry for the confusion, but we did not kidnap your daughter. We were running from the same kidnappers that kidnapped her." Hiccup said politely and Gothel smiled.

"Why can't everyone be as polite as that. But now can you see why you were never allowed to leave the tower? Rapunzel, these people will betray you." Gothel said, pointing mostly at Merida and Jack.

"These are my friends. I will always trust them. I am not going back to the tower." Rapunzel said, stepping between Gothel and her friends.

"Rapunzel, you really think they will not betray you. But when they do, you can come back to me, and we can restart what we did." Gothel hissed, and whispered something in Hiccup's ear that made his eyes widen in what looked like fear.

"Hiccup... What is the matter?" Merida asked as Gothel left them alone.

"N... Nothing." Hiccup said, cleaning the frightened look off his face.

"Come on... Let's keep moving." Jack said, looking over at Hiccup worried.

"Yea... I guess... This way." Merida said, heading to where the door was but it was now solid wall.

"What?" Rapunzel asked, and looked at everyone else who was surprised, except Hiccup.

"We're trapped." He said, wondering if the others noticed that he was expecting this.

"What now? There has to be a way out!" Merida cried out as she and Jack banged on the wall.

"It's OK... We can go out the chimney." Hiccup said, pointing at the chimney.

"Yea... Your right... Good idea Hiccup." Rapunzel said climbing up the chimney, Jack flying up after her.

"What did she tell you?" Merida asked Hiccup before following Rapunzel and Jack out, and then suddenly the wall opened and Rapunzel stepped in.

"The door is see able from this side, come on Hiccup." She said and Hiccup followed her quietly.

"I guess we continue on now..." Merida said as Toothless ran over to Hiccup.

"I'm going to fly up with Toothless and scout where we are going. That way we won't continue walking into an unknown area." Hiccup said, mounting Toothless and Merida burst something out that no one understood until she said it again.

"Can I go with you?"

"Ah... Sure."

"We will be waiting down here I guess..." Rapunzel said sitting down patiently. But Jack sighed, sitting away from her.

"We'll be back soon." Hiccup said as he flies Toothless up, Merida holding on worried.

"HICCUP! Can't we slow down!" Merida yelled as they flew out of the trees.

"It's OK Merida. I'm not going at Toothless' fastest anyway." Hiccup said as they dash around the surrounding area.

"Ah... Hiccup, Why did your father disown you?" Merida asked and Hiccup made Toothless slow down.

"He learnt I had trained a dragon."

"Is that bad?"

"Vikings are dragon slayers... Not trainers. But what did he mean that you turned your parent into a bear?"

"I didn't want to get married, so I saw a witch who gave me a potion and I gave it to my mum and she turned into a bear... But I saved her so it is OK now..." Merida said, turning white as she said it, but regaining her colour quickly.

"Oh... Let's get going back. There is a kingdom over that way." Hiccup said, turning Toothless back to where there friends was waiting.