DISCLAIMER I CAN'T WRITE A SCOTTISH ACCENT TO SAVE MY LIFE JUST IMAGINE IT

"I don't care, I want you to find out what they're doing!" Stoick bellowed.

"Dad, I don't have time for that!" Hiccup insisted.

"Hiccup! Those people are killers. And they've been quiet for too long, they must be up to something!"

Hiccup sighed loudly. "Fine, fine." He pushed back his chair and stood. "But I get some leave after this one, Dad."

"Just get out." His father ordered.

Hiccup saluted sarcastically and went outside, whistling loudly. A large, scaly head bumped his hand and he chuckled. "Looks like we've got work to do, Toothless."

The dragon made his strange chuckling noise and the scale-like flaps along his spine clicked together twice.

Hiccup grabbed Toothless' saddle and began to pack provisions for the trip.

The large dragon began to sniff around the bags, then curled up on the ground to take a nap before the journey.

----------------------

"Toothless, get back here!" Hiccup scrambled through the underbrush, frantically searching for his best friend.

The ride had been smooth, and they'd landed in a small clearing in the forest. Hiccup had been setting up the camp when suddenly he'd heard a flurry of wings. Toothless had taken off and disappeared into the sky.

He knew the dragon couldn't get far without him, but they were still rather close to the castle grounds and the village around it.

"Toothless!"

Hiccup froze as he heard shouting ahead.

"I am Merida, firstborn descendant of Clan DunBroch. And I'll be shooting for my own hand!" A strong voice with a thick accent roared.

Hiccup started to walk over a hill, then caught sight of what was happening beyond it and dropped to the ground, sucking a breath and holding his breath.

Realizing no one had noticed him, he peeked over the ridge.

The field was full of men in plaid kilts. Three targets had been set up, a single arrow on each with varying degrees of success.

A girl was struggling to pull back a bow. At first he thought that she was struggling to pull the bow back due to it's weight, but suddenly he realized that it was the dress she wore that hindered her. The seams tore in several places and the girl took a deep breath before easily pulling back the string of her bow and firing at the first target.

Hearing the thunk, he knew it was spot on. Without stopping, she walked past the second target and fired another perfect shot.

The last target had an arrow in the center already. The mysterious redhead stopped, blowing a strand of her wild, curly mane away from her eyes.

She loosed the arrow and everyone in the field sucked in a breath.

Yells of protest erupted as the arrow on the target split in half. A solid sound floated from the target, where the arrow was buried almost to the fletching.

"Merida!" The other woman he could see, a woman with straight black hair and a stern expression, called out. Something told him that the strained smile on her face would not stay there for long.

Toothless chose that moment to let out a roar of mixed terror and anger. Hiccup whirled, knowing his best friend was in trouble.

He missed the exchange on the field behind him.

"What was that?!" Several men shouted.

"Come close, I haven't heard one of those in many years!" The large man who seemed to be in charge yelled. He was obviously Merida's father.

"What was it, Fergus?" An old man asked.

"A dragon." King Fergus said solemnly.

"Fergus, where is Merida?" The queen suddenly asked.

Fergus whirled, trying to locate his daughter.

"She's gone! Where'd she go?"

"That way!" One of the potential suitors pointed into the forest.

"Take a team into the forest and find her!" Fergus ordered.

Merida followed the tracks she'd found, her bow at the ready. Another roar shot through the stillness of the trees and she jumped.

A few feet later, the tracks sped up. Either her prey knew she was following or it was connected to this creature that was making such a horrible sound.

The ground began to show signs of a struggle. Merida slowly drew an arrow and nocked it before continuing.

"C'mon, Bud, hold still!" A voice said suddenly. "There."

Merida approached the thicket quietly, but before she caught sight of anything, a twig snapped under her feet.

"Go, Bud!"

She raced forward, catching a glimpse of black.

Then there was only a boy. He was well built, if a little skinny compared to most Scots. His brown hair had a few braids in it that she could see and his leg had some strange contraption where the foot should be.

"Who're you?" She asked suspiciously.

"Could ask you the same. Actually, that's a lie, you're Merida."

She drew her bow. "Who are you?!"

"Just a passerby."

"In the middle of the forest? Liar. Now tell the truth."

He smiled lightly. "You won't shoot me."

"You want to take that chance?" She taunted.

He shrugged and shifted, smirking.

"What's so funny, Viking Boy?" She had recognized the symbols on his clothing.

"Viking Boy, eh?"

"Yes."

"Why you won't shoot me, Princess. That's what's funny."

"Do explain why." She sneered.

The boy pointed upward.

Looking up, Merida almost screamed.

A huge, black, scaly lizard creature sat in the branch above her head.

"Relax, he won't hurt you. C'mere Bud." The boy clicked his fingers and the creature unfurled itself from the tree, dropping down and curling around him before nudging it's head under his hand.

"What is he?"

"A dragon." Merida flinched at his words. Her father had told her about dragons. They were killers, enemies of Scots and Vikings alike. What was this Viking boy doing with one?

"Ah, where are my manners." The boy smirked again. It was rather attractive, and therefore distracting. Merida pinched herself discreetly. "I'm Hiccup."

"What kind of name is that?" Merida giggled.

"My culture picks names to ward off trolls and such." He explained in a tone that said he didn't think it was a great name either.

"You have magic then?"

"Course. We have dragons, we could have just about anything else." Hiccup smiled.

"C-Can I ride him?" Merida asked carefully.

"MER!" A voice eched through the forest. It was rather close.

"That your dad?" Hiccup guessed.

"Yeah." She looked down, then up determinedly. "Get me out of here."

"But it's your family-"

"Please, Hiccup!" She pleaded.

Before the viking could answer, Merida's father burst into the clearing with a spear.

"Get away from that beast, it's dangerous!" He yelled.

"Hey, Toothless is probably more intelligent than you are!" Hiccup protested.

"Viking! What are you doing on my land you spy!"

"Go, just go!" Merida shouted, waving Hiccup away. Toothless began to creep away from the man with the spear, glancing at Hiccup, who seemed torn between his dragon and the redhead in front of him.

"What about you?!"

"I'll be fine, they're my family! Just go!"

Hiccup took a deep breath and lunged forward, grabbing Merida's face and kissing her hard.

"Meet me in the field where you shot in an hour's time." He whispered. "If you really want to get out of here."

Merida nodded and he sprinted to his dragon, the two of them shooting up out of the top of the trees and disappearing.

---------------------------

"I don't think she's coming, Bud." Hiccup sighed. He was leaning against Toothless at the edge of the field where he'd first seen Merida in action.

Toothless made a sad grunting noise and curled himself into a slightly tighter ball, trying to avoid the rain that was pouring down heavily.

His rider made no attempt to hide himself.

"Alright, let's go." Hiccup finally said. He began to check Toothless' saddle, making sure it was ready for the journey home.

"Oi, aren't you cold? Rain's terrible." A familiar voice said from behind him.

"You came!"

Merida grinned. "Just had to ditch Mum."

She had a single bag slung over her shoulder, along with her bow and quiver of arrows.

"That's all?" He asked.

"I travel light."

"Well, Toothless can carry it. You ready?"

The crown princess of Scotland nodded slowly.

Hiccup took her things and strapped them to Toothless' saddle, near the back. He climbed up and offered his hand.

Merida scrambled up to sit behind him and wrapped her arms around his warm body. Hiccup noticed she was shaking a bit in the cold.

"You sure about this?" He asked softly. "My dad won't take kindly to me bringing home Scotland's pride and joy."

Merida took a deep breath. "Just fly."