Thump. Thump. Thump.

Could that be his heart? Hiccup glanced around, trying to see if anyone heard the huge drum in his chest.

Nope.

The gangway fell to the dock, the viking crew shouting back and forth, grinning. They were finally home. There was a loud whinny, a sound that caused murmurs to ripple through the crowd. To the Vikings, horses were non-existent.

A few people came down the ramp, servants, they looked like, carrying trunks and bags. Then three boys, all looking around with their mouths open in awe.

"Hamish!" A woman's voice scalled out. "Harris! Hubert! All of you-" She stood up straight, realizing there were a few hundred people staring at her.

"Er.. Announcing Queen Elinor of Scotland," a small man said. His accent sounded almost like a song, the lilting words carrying across the crowd. Elinor nodded to everyone and was joined by her husband.

"King Fergus."

And then, there she was. Tall and curvy and clothed in a turquoise dress, a girl with an enormous, beautiful pile of red curls stepped into view, leading a huge, black and white horse. The animal raised its head and looked at the strange people, breathing in the ocean breeze. It looked scared and shaky, but the girl, Merida, rested her hand on his neck and led him down the walkway.

"Princess Merida." The man yelled, his face going red with the force of his bellowing. Hiccup giggled a little.

Stoick elbowed him. It was time. He led his son through the crowd and walked right up to the family.

"Welcome to Berk," he said with a grin. He bowed, Hiccup following his lead. Slowly, and rather reluctantly, the rest of Berk bowed or curtsied too, muttering among themselves. "This," Stoick said, nudging Hiccup forward, "is my son, Hiccup."

Elinor, in a single glance, took Hiccup in. Tall and strong-looking, thick brown hair and sharp green eyes, a friendly, lazy smile and a small spattering of freckles on his nose. He looked like a man the girls would run after.

He also looked like Merida's perfect match. Already, Elinor thought, they looked good together.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Elinor said kindly, taking his hand and giving it a little shake. Hiccup reached for Fergus's hand, making sure to squeeze as hard as possible. He had to make a good impression.

"This," Fergus said, "is Merida."

Perhaps everyone watching held their breath. This was the crucial moment, the moment that could very well decide the couple's future.

Merida swallowed her pride, reached out her hand, and smiled.

"Good to meet you," she said. But Hiccup knew that the look hidden beneath the smile was not a friendly one. "This is Angus," she said, gesturing towards the horse. "He's big.

"Uh yeah," Hiccup finally said something. "Um, I have a pet, too, he's somewhere around here..." He looked around.

"Oh, Elinor said pleasantly. "Do you have a dog?"

Merida realized with a grin that Elinor had not noticed the twin's shouting and screaming and pointing, or the dragons so high in the sky.

"Uh," Hiccup said nervously, glancing at Merida's smile, "not exactly."

Another murmur rippled through the crowd, and people started to part. An enormous black shape lumbered through, his big turquoise eyes intelligent.

"I-Is that..." Elinor went pale.

"Not a dog," Merida laughed, staring at Toothless.

The triplets began shouting and screaming again.

"Alright, alright," Stoick stepped in. "As I said, welcome to Berk. I'm afraid we don't have, er, horse-drawn carriages here," he looked at Angus, "but it's not a long walk, and it's pleasant." He started to walk away, beckoning them to follow him. Elinor, somewhat over her fright, arranged everything so that Hiccup and Merida walked beside each other, at the back. Although she was rather surprised and not at all happy at the fact they had to, heaven forbid, WALK to their place, she knew this was a perfect chance for Hiccup and Merida to bond.

They walked for a few minutes. Everything was silent, even the vikings who had come to 'welcome' the Scots.

"They don't like you," Hiccup said apologetically. "You Scots, I mean. There's a bit of-"

"I know," Merida said curtly, all smiles and laughter gone. "Right back at you."

"I didn't say that I don't like you," Hiccup said indignantly, with a bit of anger. "I just said-"

"Do I seem deaf to you?" Merida snapped. Hiccup sighed angrily and stared at his feet as they kept on walking.

"Calm down."

If there was one thing Merida hated, it was somebody telling her to calm down. She stopped in her tracks and glared at Hiccup, blue eyes flashing. "Don't ever tell me to calm down," she hissed, almost growling.

The reaction was so tremendous and funny that Hiccup almost wanted to say it again. However, he was a good man and he knew that if this marriage was not a success, there would most likely be a war.

"Okay," he muttered. And, with much willpower, "sorry."

Merida smirked and began to look around.

"Hiccup!" Someone yelled. She and Hiccup turned around to see a group of people running towards them, from the bottom. Elinor, who was walking ahead, glanced back and smiled. Good. Merida would meet the local kids that were her age.

"Hey guys," Hiccup said, waving. "This is-"

"Merida," Snotlout said courteously. He knelt down on a knee, grabbed her hand, and kissed it, all in one fluid motion. "How positively wonderful to mee-"

"Shut up," a girl with long blonde hair snapped. She smiled at Merida. "I'm Ruffnut. This idiot is Snotlout.

Snotlout glared at her. "Idiot my as-"

"I'm Tuffnut," A boy said, cutting Snotlout off. "I'm her twin."

"And I'm Fishlegs," a chubby boy said.

"He's really smart," Ruffnut informed Merida.

"Why is hesmart?" Snotlout demanded. He gestured to himself with a thick finger. "What about me? I'm a dragon courier, after all, so-"

"I'm Astrid." A girl with a thick blond braid didn't smile at all, just stared at Merida. The atmoshphere changed, and everyone instantly shut up.

"Uh," Merida, for once, was almost speechless. It's..." She straightened her shoulders and tossed her mane of curls. "It's good to meet all of you," she finished, "but I have to go and unpack." She ndoded once more, curtly, and turned around to leave.

"I better go, too," Hiccup said apologetically. "Maybe we can go for a fly tomorrow?"

"Nope." It was Gobber. "Not until the Scots are more comfortable."

Everyone groaned in unison. "Flying isn't fun without Hiccup," Snotlout grumbled. He nodded his godbye and left, Hiccup doing the same.

"Sorry about that," Hiccup told Merida, catching up. "They're all really nice."

Curiousity got the better of Merida. "And Astrid?"

"Not so nice." It was Hiccup's turn to be curt, and he ended the conversation with a mumbled excuse.

Merida shrugged. if he wanted to leave, he could. That was his choice. She looked at the landscape around her. A little fog, steep, sharp cliffs, grey, cold looking ocean, and the tiniest bit of sun that offered no warmth.

"Wonderful," she said to herself sarcastically. Behind her, a servant was leading Angus, who had calmed down immensley. She thanked the man and took Angus's lead, hopping up on his bareback and riding him up the path, enjoying the feel of his muscles moving against her legs.

"You're my only friend now, Angus." She whispered.

She didn't realize just how melodramatic she was being.