Chapter seventeen

Merida hadn't thought the day would end as it had done. She had never made it to Athelstan for her daily lesson and instead found herself dragging the man, who was half delusional, away from the place that he had attacked her. Her clammy hands were gripped on his boot, Ragnar opposite, carelessly pulling on his shoulder.

They managed to dump him by the entrance to the main hall, which was only a short while away, where they entered, finding Lagertha and Floki already sitting by the end. Ragnar motioned for a few others to clear, before asking Floki to bring Bjorn.

At the end of the room, his throne of wood stood proudly, shrinking in greatness as he sat in it, like a king decked in gold. Ragnar leaned against the side sighing and rubbing his face before he turned to her.

"What happened?"

"I was walking to Athelstan and the man jumped out at me," she answered simply, saying how it was.

"You were walking alone?"

"Yes?" It came out as a question. Why did it matter?

He nodded, saying nothing more until Floki returned, Bjorn close behind him. Dresses in large furs, he appeared rough, without sleep and worn his jaw clenched shut. If it wasn't already obvious from the glare, his clenched fists proved he was angry with her, though why, she had to had to laugh.

"Where were you, Bjorn?" Ragnar wasted no time in demanding an answer from his son. "She was your responsibility."

"She was fine," he snapped, turning to glare at Merida, as if she had an influence over his father or what had happened. It made her scoff, mimicking his stern glance.

"I was fine," she insisted too, but Ragnar shook his head, brushing the both of the off easily.

"That is not the point."

"She wanted to be here. That does not make her my responsibility!" Bjorn argued.

"Bjorn is right."

Merida watched as his head snapped to look at her, brows raised in surprise. Was she really that stubborn that he thought she would defend him?

"He is?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I do not need protecting. I am a woman, just like Lagertha. You wouldn't say she needs to be protected."

It was a dangerous move, comparing herself to a woman like Lagertha, even if they had done it multiple times while in Dunbroch. But Merida was not going to let them act as if she was Bjorn's responsibility when she had took care of the situation perfectly well. She was the daughter of the legend King Fergus of Dunbroch, the archer princess who had bested the competition that was for her hand. She had ventured to a different country, without a hint of fear. She was no ones responsibility.

"She is a sheildmaiden," Floki added.

"And I am merida. I, I." She lifted her head, her chin jutting out automatically. "I proved that I do not need to be protected when I hit him down."

The were silent, in contemplation. Merida thought of running out of the room at that moment, storming out. But she didn't want the to think she was affected, that she was easily angered, a spark readying to ignite.

"I want you to be a shield maiden."

Merida's head snapped up from where she stared across the room, as Lagertha spoke up. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who was surprised, as Ragnar raised his brow, turning to the woman. But Lagertha just stared forward to Merida, waiting for her personal answer. For that, she was grateful.

"I would be honoured," Merida said, her breath escaping as the words left her lips.

"Very well, we start tomorrow," Lagertha said.

There was another break of silence, and then Merida was leaving, Lagertha only a step behind her. The thought of becoming a shield maiden was exciting. She could imagine what her mother would say. Ladies do not carry weapons. The Queen had barely tolerated a bow, never mind a sword and such. In fact, she remembered when she had tried to fight her brothers with her fathers old sword, and it had ended with her mother pulling her away by the dress.

Merida ended up by the edge of the woods, sitting against a large tree as she carved the wood with a small knife. It was beginning to get blunt, having spent so long chopping carefully at a log to make a bow. She had gone so long without a means of defence and had even begun to miss the feeling of the weapon in her hands. It was comfort.

"Shield maiden. Think you can truly do it?" Bjorn's voice startled her as he appeared from behind, edging easily through the tree line.

"I think I was born for it."

He sat beside her, looking at the wood in her hands. "What are you doing?"

"Carving a new bow. My old one was burned."

The memory of her mother, anger flooding through her as she tossed the weapon away into the fire, pushed its way through. She couldn't find it in her self to hate her. She misses her. She missed them all.

"We do not have many in Kattegat." She had noticed.

"Why not?"

"We work with axes and swords much better." As he said it, the glint of the sword by his waist glinted against the harsh near-winter sun.

"They suit you," she said, feeling the smooth wood beneath her fingers. "But with archery... There's a patience to it, an elegance. They're underestimated."

She turned to him hopefully. "I could teach you. How to shoot perfectly. I will learn the proper ways of your weapons. It's only fair I return the favor."

He smiled, pausing for a moment before he agreed. The small movements made her wonder what he thought of her. At one point in the hall he had been angry. Did he find her annoying? Did he wish she had never come to Kattegat? Not that his opinion would matter to her.

"First, I think it is about time I show you the falls." He stood abruptly stepping onto a pathway of trampled grass and mud.

"Finally?" He nodded, already moving away as she still sat.

"Come on, before you can't catch up."

"I'd like to see you try to out run me." She laughed, pulling her self to her feet and chucking the half finished bow back into the hollow log that she had hid it in.

"Let's see then."

Within seconds, he was sprinting away through the woods, leaving her to trail quickly behind. He disappeared behind the many trees, and Merida found herself stumbling forward, hopping over broken branches and fallen trees as she searched for him.

"I don't know where I'm running to!" She shouted.

"Doesn't matter, just run. You'll find it." His voice lead her to the left and she ducked swiftly beneath a low branch, hurrying to catch up to him.

But then she was falling, her arm colliding with something that was both hard yet soft. Her legs slipped, sending her toppling to the side as she was pushed lightly, but hard enough to be sent into her bottom. Merida waited for her hands to connect first with the hard ground, but they never met. Instead, her feet crashed against and icy layer of water, breaking the surface with a loud splash.

Her eyes clenched shut as water filled her vision. Small glimpses of a glittering surface above seeped through. It was cold, numbing her muscles as she pulled her arms forward, forcing herself to swim up.

Merida gasped as her head broke through the water, her hair covering her eyes and coating her surroundings a dangerous red. She was shivering, both from shock and the cold. Then she glanced up to see Bjorn laughing as she pulled her limp hair from her face.

"Bjorn!" She screeched. "It's freezing!"

His laughing didn't stop. His face was almost as damp as hers as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Stop laughing, It's isn't funny! That was cheating, I didn't know where to go!"

"We're in my territory now." He shrugged, his laughs calming.

"Help me out, I think I hurt my ankle when you pushed me."

Merida held her hand up for him to take. Bjorn bent down, his large hand slipping into hers, his fingers almost slipping from her grasp thanks to the water that soaked them. She tried to ignore the feeling of their hands joined together. It was warm, especially against the icy water that she was stuck in.

He moved to pull her up, leaning forward against the grassy she to better grip her hands. She smirked, and Bjorn didn't have time to pull back as she tugged him forward, dragging him into the water along with her.

He ducked at the right time, falling on top of her and making her slip below the water as he joined her in the base of the water fall. Merida could feel his hands on her arms, twirling her so she was above him in the water and breaking the surface first. He lifted soon after, his pale hair flat against his head and nose tinted a light pink. They were both gasping, their breaths slowly coming back to them. And then they laughed.

"I should have seen that coming," he said, and Merida nodded.

"I probably should tell you something."

"What is it?"

Neither had realised that his hands were still on her arms, submerged in the water. When he did, he pulled back, stepping backwards all together. A chill ran up her smile at the loss of warmth.

"These waters, there was a belief that they were cursed." A sly smile pulled at his lips.

"In what way?"

"Once you're in you'll never get out again!"

His hands were on her arms once again, this time pulling her under the water that fell rapidly from the cliff drop above. They were showered in the icy liquid, that glittered like diamonds in the sun.

"We'll catch our death!" She screamed.

But neither of them cared.