Meet Me At the Halfway Point

By the fire

What must have been hours felt like days to Merida, with nowhere to go, while the winter winds blew outside, she was stuck in this small cottage with a small viking boy and his pet dragon. In complete silence they sat on opposite side of the cottage.

Hiccup, or so his name was, requested "Toothless" the monster to remove the cauldron from the fireplace and build a bigger fire. While Merida didn't dare move from her spot, the boy Hiccup was more than happy to get comfortable. Removing his fur coat, she could tell that he was a skinny boy, and wore a green long sleeve shirt and fur vest to match, the whole time the dragon laid besides him peacefully asleep. Merida sat silent, eyeing the fire as it breathed slowly up and down, holding tight to her bow her, thoughts were of her mother and in hope she was doing okay.

It wasn't long until Merida's loud stomach growled of hunger which broke the silence. It wasn't until now that she realized, Merida was in a hurry that morning that she hadn't eaten all day. She tried to ignore it, there were more important things to worry about then a skipped meal.

"Here," came a voice above her. Merida didn't noticed the boy Hiccup had gotten up and was holding something in his hands, a piece of bread.

"Couldn't help but notice your stomach was a bit hungry."

He held it up with a small smile of sympathy, Merida looked away, "No thank you, I'm fine."

"It's ok, it's enough for two" Hiccup explained. "What kind of person would I be if I let the princess of Dunbroch starve."

Merida expressed with a cold tone, not looking away from the fire, "Most vikings would just kill me, if given the chance."

Hiccup gave a small nod, "Well...granted I don't look like most vikings...or act...or smell for that matter, so I wouldn't really would classify myself", gesturing all towards himself "a viking".

"What harm will come with one piece of bread?" Offering it to the princess one more time.

Merida thought for a long moment but was interrupted by her growling stomach.

She reaches over and took the bread, "Thank you."

The taste was stale but overall pretty good. Hiccup took a seat right next to her eating his own bread. Merida didn't know if by taking the bread was an invitation for sitting down but she didn't dare question it.

The fire crackled as more silence fell over, until the viking spoke first.

"Do you think you can trust her?...The witch I mean," he asked.

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice," she answered.

"But what did you mean when you said- not like last time?"

"Oh," Merida didn't know if she even wanted to tell this stranger, "It was over a year ago, it's a long story." Quickly shifting the focus, "You came all th' way from your village for your father?"

Hiccups smile tightened of the mention of his father.

"Yeah well...my dads is chief of Berk... my people were dying, then my dad got sick no one knew what to do, everyone was looking to me for answers, and...I got scared."

Merida gave a small nod, she herself can relate, always fearing of the day she would someday be queen.

He went on, "I know it may sound a bit selfish, but my dad was born to be a leader, and me well...I'm still looking, that's why I traveled over here, I have to save him, but not just for me but for my people, and if this doesn't work then..." Hiccup didn't finish.