"You made us all worry when you ran off," Hiccup told Merida as he poked the fire.

"I'm sorry. I just needed some fresh air. I guess I lost track of time. I was irresponsible," Merida apologized.

"No, sometimes you need time to think things through," Hiccup replied. "Leaders should be allowed to feel too, you know?"

Merida could tell he was remembering something by the way his eyes seemed to look past the fire. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"When my dad... died and I thought I had lost Toothless I wanted to grieve. The Gods know I wanted to grieve," Hiccup chuckled sadly, "But I had to lead. I had to show everyone that everything was going to be okay. They needed me."

Toothless folded his ears down and nudged Hiccup. Merida squeezed his shoulder. Hiccup put his hand on top of her's.

"I let a few tears fall," he continued, " Then it was back to business. I had no time to grieve after. When we beat Drago Bludvist I had to work hard as the new chief."

His nose turned red and Merida could see his eyes watering. He swallowed and picked his hand toward his eyes, trying to stop himself from crying.

"Don't," Merida stopped him.

His smile wavered as he cried. Merida could feel her own eyes burning.

"Ye know... when we were kids we would run all around the castle. One day I fell on the stairs and scraped my knee. Ye were so worried," Merida chuckled lightly at the memory. "I told ye that I was fine and ran into my room. You followed me and saw that I was crying. I was mad when ye saw me. I didn't want to be seen as weak... Ye walked over and sat beside me. Do ye remember what ye told me?"

Hiccup looked at her and shook his head.

Merida smiled, "Ye pinched yourself and started crying. I thought ye were crazy. Ye said that I wouldn't be seen as weak if we were both crying. That's the logic of a wee babe isn't it?"

"I see I was very thoughtful even as a child," Hiccup sniffed and playfully boasted.

Merida chuckled and shoved him slightly. They both wiped their tears with their free hands. Merida noticed that they were still holding hands.

"Do you know what you want to do now?" Hiccup asked, making her break her gaze from their hands to his eyes.

"Aye. I'll just have to find him and charge him with witchcraft," Merida told him and pulled her hand away from his to push her hair back.

"How do you prove that?" Hiccup asked.

"That's where my plan fails," Merida sighed.

Hiccup put a hand on Merida's forehead.

"You feel a little warmer now, I think it's time to go," he told her. "Wait, you're getting hotter."

Merida could feel her face flare up. She quickly stood up and cleared her throat.

"We've been 'ere long enough. We should head back," Merida said and walked away from the fire and toward Angus.

"Are you sure you're alright now? I don't want you passing out or something," Hiccup asked.

Merida looked at her hands. She could barely close them, but she needed to get back.

"Aye, let's go," she got on Angus albeit slower than usual.

Hiccup frowned slightly but got on Toothless nonetheless. Toothless used his tail to put the fire out.

"Merida," Hiccup called her.

She turned to look at him.

"Thank you," he told her.

Merida smiled and turned around.

"Hiya!" Merida exclaimed and pulled Angus's reins.

"Let's go bud," Hiccup told Toothless.

They flew just enough above the trees to see Merida and Angus but not close enough to where Toothless would hit the trees. Angus must have also been cold because he was running slower than usual. By the time the four made it back to Dunbroch the castle was in flames.

"Mum! Da! Hamish! Harris! Hubert!" Merida screamed as she got off Angus and looked around.

Several clansmen were fighting. Really fighting. Merida couldn't believe her eyes. Hiccup landed beside her.

"What's going on?" Hiccup asked.

"They never fight like this. I mean they fight a lot, but..." she looked at a few bodies on the ground, "Never like this."

"We need to look for our friends and family," Hiccup told her.

Merida nodded and ran toward the castle. She picked up a sword on the way. Hiccup ran beside her and took his fire sword out.

"Mum!"

"Mom!"

"Da!"

"Astrid!"

"Where could they be?" Merida asked.

"There's the princess and her lover! The leader of the dragon-loving traitors!" A man yelled.

Various men ran toward them. Merida and Hiccup stood back to back as they fought them off. Soon enough, Toothless jumped in and shot fireballs at the ground making the attackers back away.

"Lover? What's going on?!" Merida demanded a DingWall clansman she had pinned down with her sword.

"Yer viking friends attacked Lord DingWall. We're not going to let you do what you please like last time Princess," the man sneered.

Merida glared at him and knocked him out with the hilt of her sword.

"I don't think any of us would do that— well, maybe the twins," Hiccup told her.

"I know. It's that frenchman, I'm sure," Merida replied. "We need to find him before things get worse."

Merida and Hiccup were running toward the castle doors when Merida noticed a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned just in time to see Gaston running to the side of the castle.

"There he is!" Merida told Hiccup.

Hiccup whistled, calling Toothless over.
"Hop on," he told Merida.

Once they were both on and in the air Toothless tried to follow his scent the best he could. He wasn't in the tracker-class after all.
"There!" Merida told them.

Toothless immediately saw him and dove down. He landed in front, blocking the path. They were in an area just outside of the forest.

"Not another step!" Merida warned as she jumped off Toothless and pointed her sword at Gaston.

"Women shouldn't have weapons," he told her in defiance.

"You're obviously not from anywhere near my home," Hiccup commented as he followed Merida's lead.

"Ye can come with us walking or I can drag yer body straight to the dungeon. Either one is fine with me," Merida told him.

"I prefer my way," The blue-eyed villain replied and took out a large stick with an opening at the end.

Before they could react a fireball came out and headed toward them. Luckily Toothless reacted fast enough and stood in front of them. The weapon managed to hurt him but not enough to where he was bleeding. He shot a fireball at Gaston but he dodged. He tried to make his way to the forest but Toothless kept stopping him.

"Toothless! Are you okay?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless nodded. Another shot was heard as Toothless continued to protect them.

"If only I had my bow," Merida mumbled.

She looked at Hiccup's sword engulfed in flames and got an idea.

"Give me your sword," Merida told him.

Hiccup did so without hesitation. Merida waited for the sound of the weapon before standing up. Toothless sent another fireball, giving Merida the perfect opportunity to throw Hiccup's sword. Gaston dodged but didn't see Merida running toward him with the sword until she slashed him across the chest. Hiccup wasted no time and ran to his sword.

"Please, I've fought beasts twice the size of your dragon and 10 times as many men at the same time," Gaston boasted while hissing from pain.
"And that was before I could do this."

He took an egg out and threw it at Toothless. The egg exploded and left some black sand on Toothless's face.

"Toothless! Are you okay Bud?" Hiccup asked.

Merida looked back giving Gaston the chance to push her and run into the forest. Merida quickly stood up and grabbed her sword. Toothless growled as he looked at her.

"Hiccup, is Toothless okay?" She asked.

"Bud, hey listen to me. What's wrong?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless threw a plasma ball toward Merida who barely had time to dodge it.

"Toothless what are you doing?!" Hiccup asked.

Hiccup stood in front of Toothless, blocking his view of Merida. He noticed Toothless's irises were covered with the black dust. He tried to reach for him when he was picked up by Stormfly.

"Astrid?! Wait! Put me down!" Hiccup exclaimed.

He could see Toothless making his way toward Merida who could only back away.

"Hiccup, we need to get out of here! They are trying to kill us!" Astrid told him.

"Astrid please! Something is wrong with Toothless, he's trying to hurt Merida!" Hiccup told her.

"He's just protecting you! They attacked us!" Astrid retorted.

Hiccup whistled for Toothless, hoping he was well enough to remember. Toothless's ears perked, he growled at Merida before running after Stormfly. Merida swallowed and shakily stood up. She grabbed Hiccup's sword and ran into the forest.

"Astrid, let me go!" Hiccup told her.

Toothless shot a fireball at Stormfly who barely dodged.

"Toothless! It's us!" Astrid tried to reason.

"I'm sorry Astrid, but I can't leave Merida by herself. Make sure you find the others," Hiccup told her and used the opportunity to slip off his armor to fall down.

Toothless caught him.

"Bud, what's wrong?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless grew his scales out and covered Hiccup with his wings.

"I'm alright bud, don't worry," Hiccup reassured Toothless and patted his head. "I know nothing will happen to me as long as you're around."

Toothless calmed down and retracted his scales. The black sand turned gold before disappearing.

"Okay, I'm guessing that means you're better now, so we need to go after Merida. Who knows what Gaston might do to her," Hiccup told him.

Toothless nodded and flew over the forest, trying to find the red-head once again.