Battle Cry | Mericcup (REWRITE)

Chapter 6

For her plan to work, she had to be unconscious―or at least pretend to be. But for that to happen, she needs to take a hit. Merida draw herself closer to the guards. She stared at them, her eyes full of anger. "Tell that beast we don't have his mother and let me out of here!" She was shaking the bars aggressively.

"That beast you called is the next chief of Berk." The man said, pulling Merida's hair closer to the bars. Merida groaned in pain. "He may not look like it, but he is the strongest of us all. You better show some respect!" The man growled, pushing Merida forcefully away from the bars. She lost her balance and tumbled down, hitting her head. She felt her head spin. That was what she needed. A push. It left a painful wound, but she stayed like that because she know this is her ticket out of the dungeon. 

Merida could hear the other man grab the one who pushed her. "What were you thinking?" The man asked.

"I didn't think it would be that hard." The other man said.

"By Odin! We are dead." Exclaimed the other.

Merida's forehead throbbed. It hurts, but she had to stay conscious. She had to stay conscious and find the perfect time to escape.

"What have you done?" She heard Hiccup yelled after the guards told him she was unconscious. She could hear his fake leg clicking as he walked towards her cell. The metal door opened. She could feel him walk towards her as a soft hand slid behind her neck and legs. The person carried her, lifting her from the cold, hard ground.

Merida have no idea who carried her, until the man spoke, "Be careful with her." It was Hiccup. "She's the only way we can destroy her kingdom and get my mom back."

Her breathing became shallow, her heart beating fast as she felt his heart beat in sync with her. She was nervous. What if she blew this off and he realized the she was actually conscious? She knew she will be thrown back inside the cell. If she blew this one, she knew she will not be able to find another way to escape. Merida could hear his breath brushing her hair. For someone so scrawny, he sure could carry a lassie. Merida tried to stay still until he placed her down a comfortable bed. 

Merida could hear him fumble with water and a bowl. He reached for a wet towel and wiped the blood, trickling down from the wound of her forehead. It wasn't deep but it definitely stung, and every time he places the towel on it, she slightly flinched. Good thing he did not notice.

As Hiccup finished wiping the blood, she felt him stood. She slowly opened her eyes to see herself lying in a room full of drawings on the walls and scraps of metals sitting on top of a table across the bed she was lying on top of. Hiccup was on the edge of the room, facing his back to her. He was wearing a green long-sleeved shirt which he slowly pulled up. Not wanting to see what was underneath, Merida sucked in her breath and closed her eyes, thinking about every cursing words she knew. She waited until Hiccup's presence left the room.

Slowly, Merida opened her eyes again to see no sign of Hiccup. This was her chance. She slid from the bed and looked out the window. It wasn't as high off the ground as the cell that she was locked in. Merida grabbed a sword beside the table, sliding the belt to her waist. She jumped off the window and ran as fast as she can to the woods. The sun was already down. There were only a few people out. She sneaked passed the people, doing her best to hide.

"That blasted Hiccup would be surprised to see an empty bed when he returns." She whispered to herself and laughed.

Merida ran towards the forest. She knew she would be lost. By morning, she will find herself a way out. She have no idea how far she was from Dunbroch, but she will try. 

She passed by a lot of trees. The place was unfamiliar. There were birds flying above her, setting themselves on the branches of the trees. It was getting dark, but the moon helped her see her path. The cold wind made her shiver. Her cloak was taken from her and she was freezing. 

After a few hours of walking, she could not hear the faint screech of the dragons on the village. She knew she was getting farther from the village. Even though she was clueless with how wide the place was, she was still determined to find a shelter. Her limbs were getting tired and her strides were getting shorter. It was so cold that even her long-sleeved dress could not keep the cold away.

"How did I let myself be in this situation?" She questioned herself. "No matter where I go, I will always be shackled, won't I?"

Merida sliced her way through the thick grass, wondering how it might be if she did not leave the castle. If she didn't, she knew her father will be taken instead of her. But her father was much stronger and smarter than her. He may be hard-headed sometimes, but he was a true king. He knows how to handle situations like this. But Merida? She was alone and scared. At least when she turned her mother into a bear, she was there with her. Tonight, she was alone in an unknown island.

She continued walking around the forest to look for shelter. To her relief, she found herself a nice cave by the river. She gathered dry sticks and went for the cave. The cave was cold and damp, but Merida did not bother. It was better than being locked inside a cell. Merida rubbed two sticks together before successfully lighting a fire. The warmth enveloped her. For a moment, she sighed and let herself dive deep in thought.

"Why are they blaming us for the chief's wife's disappearance?" She thought. 

"How could they place a hand on their kingdom?"

"It has been years since they last attacked. Why do they have to rekindle the fire of war?"

"If my parents go all the way here to save me, is it really worth it?"

Suddenly, it was starting to rain. She laid down to rest. The thoughts still swam on her mind. No one can answer her questions. The only thing she could do was wait for a way to escape. It was her top priority. If she successfully get out of the island, she will tell her parents the plans of the Viking to destroy them. For now, she needs rest. With the soft thunder, trickling sound of the rain, and the crackle of fire that she lit, she let herself fall in deep slumber.