Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons

A Missing Trail - Chapter 14

"I give up! It isn't here!" Rapunzel sighed, settling down on the ground but Hiccup kept searching.

"So where is it? It has everything, sketches for Toothless' tail, maps, food supplies, drawings." Hiccup said, but he too was beginning to lose hope.

"Hiccup, we don't need that stuff." Rapunzel replied quietly, avoiding the glare Hiccup gave her.

"I do! I am going to go crazy!" Hiccup declared, falling onto the ground, his hands on his head.

"You're not going to go crazy..." Rapunzel said, wondering if Hiccup could manage crazy.

"RAPUNZEL! We are stranded on a mountain, with a tired dragon, a long haired girl, and a boy who can't find his maps!" Hiccup gasped, shaking Rapunzel and she decided he could go crazy.

"Merida and Jack will find us, no doubt about it!" Rapunzel exclaimed, trying to separate herself from Hiccup, who suddenly stopped shaking her.

"What if they are unconscious? What if they are dying and need help! What if they are..." Hiccup continued and he started pacing, but Rapunzel had the last straw.

"Hiccup! Sit down!" She yelled, and Hiccup sat down quickly. "They will be fine. We will be fine. You and Toothless need rest. Go to sleep."

"Ok..." Hiccup replied, and lay down on the ground, slightly closing his eyes. However, sleep didn't come easy for him or Rapunzel. They lay, tossing and turning until Hiccup woke up, gasping. He looked over at Rapunzel and smiled, grabbing a stick and sketching on the floor.

"Merida! Look! A fire!" Jack cried, and Merida jumped up excitedly.

"It must be over there! Come on Jack!" Merida yelled and she ran down the mountain, and tripped. Jack sighed and caught her, before she could hurt herself more.

"No rushing down a mountain orang-utan." He snaps, taking the lead as he continues walking down, but then he saw a flash of purple coming from the east, so he turns and heads that way.

"Were are you going! The fire is that way!" Merida yelled but Jack ignored her, and although she hated him, she followed as he walked down the mountain.

"There was a flash of purple. Toothless' fire is purple." Jack explained as Merida caught up to him, and she hissed out of annoyance.

"So what? What if Pitch is tricking you?" Merida said, and Jack froze and turned around. Merida crashed into him, and their mouths touched, but Jack pushed her away from him and continued towards where he saw the purple. Merida stumbled, but she caught up to Jack quickly.

"So. Is the whole thing with Rapunzel to make me jealous? Are you in love with me?" Merida asked, and this time Jack hissed.

"I didn't kiss you. You crashed into me when I was going to say something." He said firmly, not even glancing behind him.

"Is that so Frosty?" Merida asked again, suddenly appearing to the side of him.

"Orangutan! No." Jack said, trying hard not to raise his voice.

"I am so gonna tell Rapunzel you kissed me." Merida said, and Jack couldn't keep the hatred out of his voice.

"I did not kiss you! I do not like you! I hate you! I wish we never met, and I wish I did become a Guardian, because then I wouldn't have to deal with you!" Jack yelled, his voice echoing through the mountains. Merida just stared at him, like child who's favourite toy was taken away, but she recovered quickly.

"Wow Frosty. I knew you didn't like me, but you don't hate me do you." She asked, reaching for an arrow and shooting in front of them, over to where they were going.

"What was that for?" Jack asked and when Merida smiled he turned away.

"To see if anyone is there, and if they are, they know we are coming." Merida replied and started to speed-walk forwards.

"Rapunzel! What are you doing?" Hiccup asked, walking over to where Rapunzel was circling something that fell from the sky. He was sure that Merida and Jack was out of reach, expecially after he ordered Toothless to fire into the sky.

"It's an arrow." Rapunzel replied and Hiccup ran forwards quickly.

"Merida's arrow?" Hiccup asked as he and Toothless started walking over to where he thought the arrow was shot from.

"Maybe. I don't know." Rapunzel replied, following Hiccup quickly, while gathering up her hair.

"Come on! It might be them!" Hiccup yelled excitedly, running, and almost slipping, towards a mountain which was towering in the distance.

"Hiccup! Don't run into unknown danger!" Rapunzel called out after him, and ran to catch up but tripped.

"Punzzie!" Jack yelled, running over to help Rapunzel up.

"Hiccup!" Merida said, as she and Hiccup reached each over excitedly.

"Jack." Rapunzel whisper, and smiled.

"Merida! I am so sorry! I couldn't see you, and Rapunzel was falling..." Hiccup said, but Merida shrugged.

"It's OK. Jack caught me."

"I bet he flirted with you." Rapunzel said angrily, but Merida shook her head.

"He was talking about how he wanted to get back to you." Merida told her and Rapunzel looked up at Jack surprised.

"You..." She whispered and Jack put a finger on her mouth, and then pulled her up.

"Come on. We need to figure out where to go to now." Jack said and looked over at Toothless, who was laying on the floor, sleeping.

"Toothless won't be able to fly... He is exhausted..." Hiccup replied, sitting next to Toothless. Merida went over and joined them, and she was soon asleep as well.

"I think we all need rest." Rapunzel sighed, and she lay down again, and even Jack fell asleep. Hiccup, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't settle down. He started pacing again, waking Merida up.

"Hiccup?" She asked, and Hiccup turned to face her.

"Yea?"

"Remember when you said you had never kissed a girl before?"

"Yea..."

"Well..." Merida whispered, signalling Hiccup over, and when he was close enough, she lent in and kissed him. For Hiccup, this was the thing he had wanted Astrid to do for so many years, but Merida's was better. She had a way of making it strong, but not fierce. And it was stopped, as quick as it had started.

"Mer..."

"Um..." Merida said, and they stared at each over awkwardly.

"Merida."

"Was that better than Astrid's?" Merida asked quickly before Hiccup could get another word in.

"It was much better." Hiccup said, and it was obvious to the casual onlooker, that it was. This time, they both settled to sleep, Toothless' wings covering them.