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nantosueltas · 1 year

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🏹 The Arrow and The Flower 🌺

Chapter 1 — Heavy Clouds of Woe

“Take your risk of life and death

Underneath the open sky.”

— E. Alan Mackintosh

— Let's go, Angus.

Coming down that snowy hill, Merida was lost in thoughts.

Layers of images, sounds and emotions were overlaying in her mind's eye, vanishing as quickly as they arose: the preparations of her upcoming eighteenth birthday with Elinor ordering the maids how to decorate the throne room for the perfect event while Fergus and the boys would yell random things at the table; pieces of her adventures among the mountains, rivers and hills in her lands before and after turning Elinor into a bear.

“Dear, we both changed” was the last thing Elinor said after the dreadful spell that turned her into a bear was broken. Once back as a human Elinor could see how much what they've been through and how much they've grown. And changes kept happening even after all of these adventures. Elinor wouldn't touch the subject of marriage anymore, but she complained the appearance of her daughter was “way too fierce for a princess, you look like you're about to fence for your life, not rule a kingdom.”

And indeed she looked way more fierce. She tried to mirror her inside on the outside: she felt like a warrior, she wanted to look like a warrior. Now her long curly red hair was kept in a long ponytail, lying all across her back. She could see and move better, it felt comfortable and appropriate since she would spend many hours outside.

The blueish tones of her kilt against her scarlet hair against her now toned arms and legs were contrasting features on her appearance that she learned to love.

Some of her adventures in the forest and mountains gave her some permanent marks, like a scar on her right eyebrow after a riding accident with Angus. Elinor almost fainted when she realized the mark was permanent but Merida could feel more like herself than ever but at the same time couldn't ignore a growing emptiness inside her chest.

She couldn't really explain why but somehow it was always there, feeling it strongly while alone in the forest, looking at the dancing branches of the trees full of apple blossoms in spring. Somehow life was now more of the same. Dealing with her parents, brothers and castle servants, still having lessons with Elinor and now with Fergus (Elinor agreed Merida should keep learning the “arts of war” and even she was taking some lessons), getting to know the subjects. The cottage witch was never seen again and Merida would often ride there, maybe in the hope of seeing these googly eyes or the hysterical talking crow once again.

Somehow she missed that spark of life-threatening magic. The wisps were also gone, the menhirs where they once first appeared to her now perpetually empty and silent.

That added to a series of unsettling nightmares would make the once lively and energetic DunBroch princess to shun inside herself in a way she never did before. She would also think about her kingdom, threatened by it's own nature, that looked almost…vengeful.

Something wasn't right with Dun Broch's weather and Merida knew it. She felt her heart sinking in her chest whenever she gazed upon the heavy dark clouds hanging on the sky for more than a week.

"I am telling you, it's the Fae's doing!!!" Fergus would yell and beat the table during dinner while discussing about the subject.

"So now you believe in Fae and magic? What a cursed cake given by a witch and the spirit of a dead warrior inside a bear won't do! And would you mind not knocking out our tables? Honestly, Fergus." replied Elinor with her usual impatience for any kind of noise and abrupt reactions.

"Well, I see no other explanation! Such clouds aren't normal, they're sitting there… Like watching us! And won't fall, not even a drop of rain, it's just thundering and roaring like an old man's stomach!" He was still exalted but trying to control the fury of his hands. The boys would imitate his previous euphoric gestures.

"Well, maybe our daughter could pay a visit to the cottage witch once again and discover which treacherous being is haunting our lands. Skies, in this case."

Merida didn't pay much attention to her parents' conversation or to her food or to her brothers yelling as customary in every meal. She was lost in thoughts and too distracted to reply.

"Merida?"

"Hum? What is it, you were talking to me?"

"What is with you,child? Yes, I was talking to you. Actually this is a communal conversation so we were all talking to you" her tone seemed more worried than bothered.

"I'm sorry. I think I might be just tired. If you excuse me, I'll just get to my bedroom"

"The sun didn't even set yet, Merida"

"Well, it was a long day and I didn't sleep well. Good night"

Elinor worryingly watched her daughter to climb up the stairs while Fergus and the boys were fighting over her untouched dessert.

Cold winds softly caressed the princess’ rosy cheeks and ember-like hair, shaking her from her flashback. The vision of ice and snow on the trees and the whole landscape, as well as of the dreadful clouds of woe above slowly brought her back to the present moment.

This was the last memory she dwelled on, an one hour ago memory while climbing Angus to get back to the palace. Even though she said she was going to her bedroom she managed to leave to the stables to get Angus for one of her lonesome time rides through the forest. Whenever she had her head full, that's all she tried to do. To ride all her problems away.

🐻🐻🐻

Merida wished her arrival was as smooth as her leaving. Once she got to the royal stables, guess who was there?

"Having problems reaching your own room?" The darkness could hide her identity but Elinor's voice could be recognized even from a distance.

Merida jump scared right when she was adjusting Angus to his stable.

"Well, I, actually, I…"

Merida unwillingly interrupted herself with a loud sneeze. Elinor sighed.

“First dress these up, Merida, you're still going to get yourself killed staying outside in the cold winter without proper dressing.”

She handed Merida a thick and long fur cape she could adjust to her body like a blanket. She also gave her thick blue cloth stripes to wrip around her arms and leather hand grips to protect herself from the impact and constant friction shooting arrows would cause. Merida covered herself with the fur coat and wrapped the stripes around her arms, admiring the quality of the material and the deep blue color of the fabric.

"Are you having these dreams again?"

Elinor’s voice was calming and her face looked almost ethereal under the moonlight.

Merida was caught off guard and after a surprise moment she calmed herself down and sighed.

"Yes. It's always the same dream. Nightmare. Every night. This will be the seventh night, if it happens again.

Elinor seemed immersed in thoughts for a moment until speak again.

“You never mentioned how such dream, nightmare, unfolds.”

“Well, it's difficult…I…”

Elinor gently landed her hand on Merida's shoulder.

“Yes, I know, first would be thoughtful to leave a place smelling like horse ordure before engaging in a chit chat”

Merida chuckled despite her worry and fears and left with her mother to an open courtyard in front of the palace. They watched the moonlight in silence and sat on some massive rock tile, reminiscent of DunBroch’s castle construction. Elinor cleared off the snow covering its surface with a piece of cloth and invited her daughter to sit next to her.

Elinor looked at Merida tenderly and rested her hand on hers, supportively and tenderly.

“My little brave girl”

Merida's eyes glowed with child like expectation and seemed watery. She breathed in as preparing for saying something but breathed out still in silence and waited for Elinor to speak again.

“The ancients used to say dreams are meaningful and a sign or a warning of a higher power. But whatever they mean, whatever they're predicting, now that there's no challenge we can't overcome… together.”

Merida's eyes were teary but she opened a wide and relieved smile. She squeezed her mother's hand and with a sigh of relief and shaky voice, proceeded to tell the dream.

“I am in a dark place. A dreadful place. A beach, at night with no moon or stars in the sky. And it's cold, really cold, I can see each of my breaths coming out as smoke. I take a look around but all I see is a vast body of water. Maybe the sea, I guess. I was so alone and, and I was calling for you and dad and Harris, Hubert, and Hamish, Angus, everyone that I know but… I never got an answer.”

Elinor was listening with utmost attention and it gave Merida strength to tell further.

“Then after calling for someone for so long I just give up. And I feel so lonely I start crying and I can see my tears falling on water. And that's when the sea starts rising. When it touched my knees I jumped back, looking for a way out. Then the waters withdrew, starting forming a whirlpool. And it was so noisy! And such strong winds blowing and whistling out of nowhere! It was so confusing but I could see the center of the whirlpool, because of this strange white light glowing inside of it. And finally I heard a voice.”

“A voice? Did it say something?”

“Yes and it wasn't saying anything. It was… Shouting. I think it was a name that I had never heard before. Even foreigner. Artio.”

Elinor looked serious. She seemed to be meditating on everything she just heard, resting her hand on her chin. But Merida doesn't have this kind of patience for contemplation.

“Well? What do you think?”

“All of that? Cryptic, ominous, surely terrifying. The kind of thing your dad would like to go through.”

“Mom!” Merida chuckled.

“But… On a more serious note. This dream you have seems to have some connection with these ominous clouds over our skies. It involved much of water… And and a feeling of uneasiness. And danger.”

Merida felt her chest heavy.

“And this word, this…name. Artio. Does it sound familiar?”

“Honestly…No. But I heard of a clan that was taken by the Romans, with whom they had epic battles. They never surrendered and fought as much for freedom as we did. This name sounds like the language of theirs, as I read in the registers of the history of their nation. And this name, Artio,was commonly given to children, baby girls born on spring. It's an ancient word, and it means… ‘bear’”

“What?” Merida jumped on her sit.

“Yes, I know. We are just haunted by such fascinating creatures, aren't we? But whatever or whoever is this Artio… Has a connection to you. To us, somehow. Everything is somehow closely bonded, knitted together, like a tapestry. Whatever is coming, will come to us, someday.”

As Elinor finished speaking, a gentle blue light appeared from thin air, like invoked by their conversation. A being made of supernatural deep blue color, manifested with a characteristic ghostly whisper.

“The will-o-wisp!” Merida shouted nearly jumping. She thought she would never see them again.

Elinor looked surprised but also worried. The will-o-wisps usually leaded to chaos and danger, like they did before.

The wisp disappeared and quickly reappeared some steps ahead, in the direction of the the forest. Elinor and Merida looked at each other. As if guessing her thoughts, Elinor simply said,

“Careful, child. Come back for breakfast”

Merida's eyes glowed like receiving a flash of confidence.

“I will!”

Nan

And after wrapping her mother in a clumsy embrace, she quickly moved to get Angus and her archery tools, to follow the mysterious wisp into the unknown of the dark snowy forest.

🌺🌺🌺

Hiyo, everyone!

I decided to post this fanfic here as well, besides AO3. I am not sure how much people read long texts here so I decided to give it a shot (all pun intended). Below I will link some of my social media so you can get to know more of my work:

AO3: The Arrow and the Flower 🌺 🏹

Instagram: nantosueltas 🌱 (where I post my OC Artio x Merida fanart)

tiktok: nantosueltas

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