The Cause {A Mericcup Novel}

Chapter 16

Caution: this chapter contains angst. Veiwer discretion is advised.

As they tread through the tall grasses, multiple critters would scurry away to avoid their path. The occasional field mouse would scuttle aside, causing the hay to part in tiny lines. Several times, Merida had marched through spider webs, and Hiccup would attempt to save the poor arachnid before the Princess could riverdance all over it. And the most curious outcome of their hike were all of the grasshoppers that had hitched a ride atop of Sop's straw hat. It created a fun game for the duo to count just how many bugs there were as they followed behind him. Hiccup counted fourteen; Merida numbered nineteen, adding the five butterflies that had come and gone.

Eventually, Hiccup grew accustomed to sucking the grass stems to taste a little moisture on his tongue. Since no sign of rain or bodies of water were found, nothing could be done to quench their thirst. However, when they did pass through a new field of onions, he quickly rejoiced as Merida and him ate 5 onions per person, and the dirt on the vegetables gave them extra proteins and minerals. Neither knew the true value of a fresh onion until it outweighed the common wheat stalk.

After two hours of constant trudging through the tall grass, the royals began to complain, and they questioned the sincerity of their leader's quest. Their bodily functions, to which the need of tending could not be ignored, allowed them to release, rest, and rethink their plan of action. After personal breaks and regrouping, Merida insisted that Sop explain to them the details of the Old Man.

Sop began, explaining, "The Old Man is a warlock who lives in a hole in the ground. He plants and harvests the potatoes in my fields.

"He likes to keep to himself. But when me made a new friend, who helped me scare away the crows, he stole the friend away from me.

"So me left to find help, and me found silly girl and Loki boy." He paused and tilted his head to the side to portray a smile.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Merida asked, seemingly unphazed by the odd tale.

"Me could not tell others in time. The farmers all left for a festival. Me hear them talk about a magic princess betrothed to a viking, and they went to see them," he answered. Merida and Hiccup glanced quickly at each other.

"So you're telling us that everyone is gone except for the warlock, who has captured an innocent person and holds them hostage? And now we're the only one's out in this endless line of fields who can help them?" Hiccup concluded, fully exasperated. Sop nodded.

Hiccup threw his hands up in the air, shaking his head dismissively. His throat was dry and his stomach began to growl again, and the sun caused his body to sweat beneath the leather armor he wore. After being tired and sore from the previous days, the Chief was coming to the end of his rope. None of this was his responsibility. It wasn't his kingdom to defend against a sorcerer, or his captive to rescue. All reasons to persevere were off the table except for one- the Princess.

He turned back to look at Merida, who was standing beside the tattie-bogle, patiently waiting for him to regain himself. Her messy, red curls draped off her shoulders in cascading braids. All of the weapons she carried added an extra character of confidence to her strong back. And with those round, blue eyes, she encouraged him to continue. She reminded him of why he was there.

'If not for the wish of my father, I will do it for my friend,' Hiccup thoughtfully determined.

Sighing, Hiccup crossed his arms and said, "Fine. We'll save your friend, Mr. Straw Man." Sop spun in a circle, hopping up and down.

"Thank you! Thank you kindly!" Sop exclaimed, "My potato field is right after this one, and then the Old Man's den." Then he turned and began to skip in that direction.

'Thank you,' Merida mouthed to Hiccup. She sent him a genuine smile of gratitude that he hadn't yet seen on her face. It granted him a feeling of comfort as he nodded back to her. As they started to follow the scarecrow again, they walked side by side instead of single file.

At last, the three characters strolled into the promised potato fields. With patches of green stems and leaves protruding from the surface, lines of dirt mounds provided an easy route through the farmland. Sop easily hopped about the plants, Merida successfully squeezed through the lines, and Hiccup kept accidently stabbing his prosthetic foot into the unearthed potatoes, turning it into a shish kabob along with the past onions.

"Now, now, tattie-bogle. Don't play with us. Where is the warlock's home?" Merida questioned.

Sop kept hopping as he said, "Me do not know. It is a secret hole in the ground."

"What?!" both Viking and Princess yelled at once. But the scarecrow contined to leap forward.

"We will find it when it opens," he answered.

Hiccup leaned over to Merida, whispering, "I'm about to cut off his other arm." Merida nodded.

Together, they ran in front of the man and stopped him from bouncing. Each were equally irate, and in a short time, both were equally shouting hostile insults toward the one-armed bogle. Hiccup spoke with his hands like a conductor uses a baton; Merida placed her fists on her hips like her mother. And with every abusive word they yelled, the scarecrow shrank in stature, cowering until he fell on his bum and cried.

"This is why the Old Man tells me not to talk to humans," Sop whimpered in dispair. He covered his fabric face with his dismembered arm and wailed in betrayal. The pair before him grew silent.

"Me friend is nicer than you. The Old Man is even nicer than you!" he shouted back.

Merida's shoulders slumped, and her arms wrapped around her waist. She couldn't look his way. Guilt filled her soul then left it hollow. Nothing from her Princess lessons could have prepared her for this moment.

'What have I done?' she thought, hugging herself tightly.

'What should I do?' Hiccup pondered. But then he remembered what Merida had done when he was upset the night before. He had to tell the truth.

"Look...Sop. We're really sorry," Hiccup started, and Merida nodded with him, "The truth is- we're not just a couple of misfits sleeping in caves. We're actually the Princess and Viking the farmers were talking about."

Merida joined in, saying, "And we're lost. We were following the wisps but then they led us to a cave and now we're following you." At their words, the scarecrow seemed to perk up.

"Please forgive us, sir. We just want to help your friend and get back to Dunbroch," Hiccup expressed.

Sop stood to his feet and sniffed, asking, "So you can get married?"

"N-no!" Merida stuttered.

"Yes," the Chief answered. Hiccup sent her a playful wink, reassuring her of his sarcasm, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, me forgive you. Help me save me friend and me help you get home. Deal?" the man stated.

"Deal."

"Will do."

To break through the sensitive moment, Merida had the idea to be funny and hop like Sop had done before. With a smirk, she turned around and jumped forward, but she didn't hit the ground. The dirt gave way beneath her feet like a trap door, and the Princess fell through the hole in the ground.

THUD.