Chapter One

The Four Letters

Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that once destiny intertwined with many others, it's the one thing we all search for or fight to change, some never find it, but there are some that are led. But I don't believe in those legends and I don't believe our land or our status defines us. I believe that are fate lies with in the others we meet and not the land we toil over. We have one person that we are defined by, one person that defines us and one person that we truly share everything with. I had not met my one person yet and was not at all eager to, for when that one person is found you realize who you are and what you want out of the time that is given to you, and I was not ready to know what I wanted out of life just yet, having too much fun exploring the wrong and the right ways of living my life. I was happy with my solitude, but my mother didn't see that.

I am Merida, first-born descendant of clan DunBrock and I was happy. My life was not with out its flaws; my mother was a prime example. She's in charge of every single day of my life. I have a certain amount of responsibility around the kingdom, being the princess and all, but my mother didn't seem to understand that I can do things on my own and do not need her telling me every step that I need to take. But I don't want to think about my mum right now, because today is one of those rare days when I don't have to be a princess. This is the day that our story starts, one particular sunny morning in the highlands of Scotland.

Merida was wrapped tightly in her four-poster bed, her flaming hair covering her face entirely and not allowing the sunlight that was peeping through the dusty curtains to wake the sleeping girl just yet. Merida was dreaming about flying, a popular dream for the young princess, enjoying the freedom and euphoria that only comes with dreamland flights. She had often gotten close to the sensation of flying on her horse Angus, but there was still ground thumping below, the birds were still above her and she never really felt weightless. Merida dreamed of seeing clouds scattered beneath her like tiny islands, feeling nothing around her but the cold bite of air as she sped through the sky, completely free. Smiling into her pillow Merida shifted in her sleep and the curl that was blocking her eyes from the stabbing sunlight dropped to her cheek, letting the light pierce through her eyelids and wake the dreaming princess. "Ah" Merida mumbled as she rolled over in her blankets and pulled the pillow over her head. She mumbled something about lessons and curled her fingers into her long locks, not wanting to get up and be taught how to strive for perfection. But then with a realization that sent a smile to her face, Merida remembered that today was one of her special days, the day that she gets all to herself with no lessons to interrupt. Beaming with a memorized joy Merida sprung out of bed, not feeling the least bit sleepy any more. As quickly as she could Merida dressed, grabbing a fist full of dark green material and throwing it on, not caring if it clashed with her hair or was no longer in style, all Merida was thinking about was go.

Running downstairs, Merida grabbed an apple and a biscuit off a tray that Maudie

was carrying, she could hear the maid's cries of shock disapproval as she sprinted down the hall way to the stables. She had everything she needed for a day of fun, a good breakfast, and a strong sun with a light breeze, her best horse Angus and her bow. Bursting out of the castle she ran pell-mell to the stable doors. Angus was already waiting expectantly for his rider as she came to his pen. Smiling Merida strapped his saddle on the steed and gave him the last of her apple to finish. "You ready for some fun?" she asked. The gray horse threw his head back in excitement and whinnied. "Right then lets go!" Merida shouted swinging herself expertly onto the horse's back. The pair sped towards the forest running as fast as they could, away from the castle and the rules and lessons that plagued their lives.

The day went as well as Merida had hoped. She had perfected her aim, not missing a single target as she sped through the dark green trees. She climbed the fire falls and drank from the waters; something that only the bravest of the ancient kings would dare to do. And she carved the symbol of flight into her bow, wishing that she could just sore upwards with the eagles that haunted the skies, flying far away from any thought of rules and princess hood. But like all good things in Merida's life, they were over far too quickly.

Shadows stretched their long fingers out, curling around trees and rocks and reminding Merida of the upcoming darkness. Sighing Merida slung her bow over her shoulder again and pulled herself back onto Angus.

Riding back to the castle was never as fun. Merida closed her eyes and pretended to be gliding over Scotland, her head buried in Angus' black mane.

Home rose up on the horizon, a great gray castle made of stones older than any person that has ever taken shelter inside its dark passageways. "Yah" Merida cried, urging Angus forward as the shadows grew longer and darker, twirling and winding up Merida's body to swallow half her face in midnight.

"Yeah think shill nag me for being late again?" Merida asked her whinnying horse as she shut him back in his stall. The horse snorted in response, giving Merida a small flick with his tail. "Blah, oats it is then?" Merida stammered as the tail slapped her square in the face. Angus gave a content snort as Merida went to fill up his trough.

The door banged open as Merida staggered into the dining hall, her arms laden with a plate of sweet rolls. Merida's family was half way through dinner, her mother Eleanor trying desperately to get her three little brothers to eat their haggis. Meanwhile Merida's Father Fergus was once again telling the family about his fight with the Daemon Bear Mordu. "You're late for dinner again Merida." Eleanor scolded as the princes trotted into the room.

"Uh Mum." Merida whined, sitting down next to her father.

"Merida really, this is the third time this week and its only Wednesday." Eleanor began, her fingers shuffling absentmindedly through a stack of documents.

"Oh Eleanor leave the girl alone, she's not that late." Fergus retorted, defending his rule-breaking daughter.

"Twenty-five minutes is not that late in your mind?" Eleanor replied dryly, looking steely eyed up at her king over one of the documents. Fergus seemed to shrink a little in his seat at that stare.

"Merida honey, try to be on time tomorrow." Fergus mumbled, looking apologetically at his frowning daughter. Merida sighed and took her bow off and placed it next to her on the table.

"Merida, I will not go over this again, no weapons on the table."

"Ah Mum, its just ma bow." Merida groaned, looking stiffly over at her mother, who was still fingering through documents.

"A Princess should not have weapons in my opinion."

"Dad?" Merida whined.

"Eleanor all children of the royal house are required to be trained in combat, it's a rule." Fergus saidmatter-of-factly. Eleanor opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the family gray's hound jumping up onto Fergus and licking his cheeks.

"Oh don't let them, oh" Eleanor tried, flinching as dog spit and food scattered everywhere. Merida giggled then glanced over to Harris, Hubert and Hamish who were still paying with their haggis. Grinning at them she pointed down at the sweet rolls. Their three small faces cracked into identical smiles as they nodded once and then ducked under the table. Merida slowly dropped the plate of rolls, letting the tray slide down her legs and onto the floor, under the long wooden table. Peering over at their mother to see if she suspected anything Merida frowned to see her anxiously picking up three white, blue and green envelops from a silver tray that Maudie had brought out.

"What are those Mum?" Merida inquired, her red locks falling onto her plate as she looked over at her wide-eyed mother. But the Queen was not paying attention to her; she was completely concentrated on opening each of the letters, hands shaking slightly as she did so. "Mum?" Merida asked again, a bit of impatience entering her voice.

"Fergus." Eleanor whimpered, looking happily up at her husband. The laughing king looked up from the two gray hounds to his wife, who was holding three envelopes in her trembling fingers. "Fergus they've accepted." The king's jaw dropped as he looked from the three scraps of paper to his confused daughter them back again.

"Who's accepted?" Merida asked nervously, her stomach knotting at the look of happiness on her mother's face.

"Boys!" Eleanor commanded, the three triplet's popping up from under the table. "You are excused." Eleanor cooed. The triplets bolted; their green tunics bulging with hidden sweet rolls.

The door swung shut behind the giggling princes and Merida sunk a little lower in her seat. "What did I do now?" Merida questioned, looking nervously at her mother.

"Your fathers got something to tell you." Eleanor said sternly and looked expectantly over at her husband. Merida turned her eyes from her mother to her father, the knot in her stomach tightened painfully. Fergus looked terrified at the thought of what he was going to have to say to his daughter. His gaze shifted from Merida's frightened blue stair, to a fork at his place.

"Uh- uh" Fergus stammered, but he was saved by the kitchen door banging open again and Maudie scampering in. The king collapsed back in his chair and gave a sigh of relief. Eleanor looked up at Maudie in confusion as the fat servant handed her another envelope. This one was brown and made of a rough thick parchment; it was singed slightly in one of the corners and was sealed with black wax. Over all, the thick filthy envelope looked very out of place next to its delicate white, blue and green fellows.

"What in heavens name?" Eleanor whispered, taking the brown parchment from Maudie. A small trail of dirt tumbled down from the ostracized letter, causing the Queen to frown in disgust.

"Its another suitors letter mam." Maudie whispered in answer to Eleanor's lost expression.

"Four? But there are only three kingdoms." Eleanor said slowly realization dawning on her pale face. "No, they wouldn't." Eleanor hissed. She slit the envelopes throat with distain and pulled out the grubby letter with unnecessary force. "Oh those barbaric pigs." the Queen spat, peering over the letter's contents. Merida's eyes widened at her mothers sharp tongue, never had she ever heard her mother speak like that about anyone in her life.

Eleanor?" Fergus asked, his expression very curious, trying to read his wife's lips as she read over the letter quickly.

"Vikings Fergus Vikings!" Eleanor snapped, throwing the letter from her curling fingers and slumping angrily against her chair.

"The Viking's are coming too?" Fergus bellowed joyfully, his whole expression changing from worry to complete euphoria.

"No Fergus no, that's bad."

"No it isn't, that's great news. Stoick the vast is coming right? With that crazy blacksmith! And it would be his son who's . . . " Fergus stopped smiling at those words, recalling the boys less than normal personality and size. If there was ever a black sheep of the village it was that kid.

"Yes Fergus." Eleanor hissed. "Vikings are bad; they are messy, loathed, frustratingly disobedient and have no idea how to run things properly. Do you really think that this sounds like a good candidate?"

"They don't sound that bad." Merida interjected. Both her parents jumped abruptly, realizing that she was still in the room.

"They're not, they are great fun." Fergus laughed, remembering his last visit to the shores of Berk. "Ah does old Stoick know how to tell a joke and the dancing they do. Ha! It's a sight to see." Merida giggled at these words trying to imagine what Vikings dancing looked like.

"But his son Fugues, does that sound like a good idea?" Eleanor pressed, bringing up Stoick's less than everything son.

"Ah well, I will admit he's a bit . . . " Fergus trailed off trying to think of an accurate word for what the boy was.

"Useless, accident prone, completely not what he should be?" Eleanor supplied, folding her arms and glaring at her husband.

"Ah well, to put it lightly. But you never know she might like him."

"Oh no way is she going to like him because he's not coming."
"Now Eleanor you cant just exclude the Vikings from competing, they are a part of our kingdom so by law they are allowed to put forth a suitor."

"A suitor for what?" Merida asked shakily, the knot now twisting like a snake around her lungs and making it hard to breath.

"Oh for your betrothal." Fergus said casually, but then realizing what he said, slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Ma what!" Merida bellowed, springing out of her seat and backing away from the table. She looked from her mother's worried face to her father's traumatized one. "I'm not getting married."

"Merida I don't now why you're making such a big deal out of this, this is what you have been preparing for all your life." Eleanor said sternly, her mind not comprehending the frantic look in her daughter's eyes.

"NO! This is what you have been preparing me for! I won't go through with this! You can't make me!" And with that Merida tore from the dining room slamming the door behind her. Silence fell like snow in the dining hall, Maudie was still standing there with her hands over her mouth and the king and Queen sat flabbergast in their seats. Finally Eleanor broke the silence.

"Subtle Fergus." Said the Queen dryly and got up to follow her fuming daughter. Fergus looked open mouthed at the retreating figure of his wife and then got up as well. Walking stiffly over to the four discarded envelopes he picked them up and placed them in Maudie's trembling hands.

"I want answers sent out to the suitors tonight Maudie."

"What- what do you want them to say sir?" Maudie stammered, her whole body quivering.

"That we graciously accept their offer's."

"Including the Vikings?" the frighten servant asked

"Yes especially the Vikings." The king replied, his lip curling. Maudie trotted away, her ears still ringing with Merida's shrieks. Fergus watched the door of the kitchen close behind the maid, leaving the battleground of a dining hall completely silent. Nodding once in the acknowledgement that his kingly duties were underway Fergus made to leave the dining room. He got half way to the door before a loud crashing noise rang out behind him. Spinning around, the king let out a grown. The dining table was toppled over on its side, spilling its contents everywhere. Food laid like dead soldiers, scattered in great mounds all over the stone floor. "BOYS!" Fergus yelled as he saw the long rope that was attached to his ankle. "BOYS!" He bellowed again. Three floors up the triplets giggled in unison, their mischievous work roaring through the ancient halls like a great black bear.

While all of this was going on, Merida was busy getting her anger out on one of her posts of her bed. "Who- does- she -think- I am!" Merida spat. With each word she swung her broad sword hard up against the post, splintering the wood and leaving a long gash in the polished mahogany. "AHHHHH!" Merida screamed throwing the sword across the room, it bounced off the wall, leaving a sizable dent in the woodwork. A knock came at the door and Merida turned sharply at the intruding sound. The stranger tried to open the door but Merida had barricaded herself inside, slamming a chair, two stools and a small table up against the hard wood door.

"Merida let me in." The muffled voice of her mother sounded as she tried and failed to open the blocked bedroom door. Merida just gave a loud huff and threw herself on her bed, her curls bouncing as she slammed her face into her pillow and gave a long drawn out scream. From the other side of the door Queen Eleanor could hear her daughter muffled shouts as she let loose her anger. "Maybe I better come back later." The Queen muttered to herself, now hearing Merida throwing books off her shelf. Back inside her room Merida was indeed tossing books from her shelf. Grabbing brightly collared bindings at random and chucking them fiercely across the room.

"WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN!" Merida shrieked kicking the now empty bookshelf in frustration. The shelf wobbled once and something hard fell on Merida's head. Swearing Merida clutched the top of her head, a hot stinging pain rolling down her body from her cranium. "What the?" Merida hissed looking down to see what had fallen from the top of the teetering shelf and collided so painfully with her skull. A black book with a dusted faded cover looked back at her, decorated with the twisting image of a red dragon sown into the cloth cover. Frowning Merida bent down and picked up the ratty thing, turning the book to the side to read the title. One word was stitched into the black spine, Dragons. Merida's memory suddenly flashed back to four years ago, when her dad had given her this book when she started learning about how to defend the castle from attack. She was twelve years old then and was being instructed about dragon raids. Merida's mother had told her that if a dragon raid did happen that she was to go to the keep and not make a sound. Merida had found this class very boring; dragons very rarely attacked the DunBrock kingdom, sticking mostly to the northern villages. But her father had given her this book to give her more interest in the subject. Peering through the book now Merida remembered the fascination that she had for the terrifying creatures the book discussed. She had poured over the ink drawings, never caring to learn about the great beasts, just enjoying the look of the creatures. Now that Merida thought about it she had wondered were this book had gone. Her mother must have placed it up on top of the bookshelf so that Merida would not get bad ideas. Heat boiled in her stomach again at the thought of her mother's stupid rules. Stomping over to her bed Merida jumped onto the messy sheets, throwing the book down beside her. Turning the fading pages a childhood terror rose up in her mind, looking with awe and excitement at the many different drawings of dragons. One page was dedicated entirely to the proper way to slay a Gronckle, describing the weaknesses and tricks to bring down the fire-breathing creature. "You would have to be out of your mind to fight that thing." Merida scoffed, turning the page to a beautiful drawing of Deadly Nadders. A light suddenly went off in Merida's head and she turned back to the page about fighting dragons. "I get to choose the challenge." Merida said slowly, her hair almost crackling with wicked glee. "Those boys need to go through a challenge to prove themselves to me, the one who passes it unscathed will then win my hand in marriage." An evil smile twisting around her delicate face Merida pulled the book up to her chest. "I would like to see them try." Merida whispered to herself.

Thinking quickly Merida pondered all the variables that would come if she really did go through with this challenge. All the suitors were from the south, Merida thought. They have never even seen a dragon before, let alone slay one. The only suitor that would have a good idea of how to kill a dragon would be the Viking boy, but by the sounds of him he was not at all up for the challenge. Eleanor's words bounce around in Merida's head as she thought over her plan, useless, accident prone, completely not what he should be. This did not sound like dragon killing qualities. Wrapping her arms around the black book Merida closed her eyes and held her breath, hoping against hope that her plan would work. "Please, please, please." She whispered, her brow furrowing as she prayed, "I don't want to get married."

The plan was set. She would challenge the suitors to slay a dragon for her, sounding much like the fairy tails Merida had grown up with. The boys from the south would have no idea how to kill the fire-breathing thing, and would probably run away from it, having no experience with giant reptiles. The boy from the North would have some idea of how to kill the Dragon, but would not have any way of actually doing it, being less than everything. Also it would probably take five to six days to find a Dragon for the suitors to fight, so Merida would have more time to convince her mother that she did not want to get married. Yes, Merida thought. Everything might work out perfectly in the end.