brave in the heart. vikings

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Chapter fifteen

Merida's eyes blinked open gradually, shadows streaming into her blurred vision. There was little light in the room that she woke up in, except from the small slither that fought its way under the rigid, wooden door. She pushed herself up, looking around it her darkness, hands curling into material she was sitting on. Her leg kicked out, clanging quietly against something. A bed post. Her hands were wrapped in an animal's fur. Bedsheets.

Her head was banging slightly, the pain that had been loud when she first woke had receded into a numb and dull throb. Her hearing felt off at first too. She could hear her own breathing, heavy enough to sound like light snores, but then she realised that it wasn't her breathing at all- there was someone else in the room.

Merida flinched, bunching the fur in her fists as she narrowed her eyes looking deeper into the room, under the shadows and beyond the stretches of the limited light. A long figure was sleeping on the floor against the wall, covered in another fur throw, their breathing rattling through the air.

It was Bjorn, she realised, as she recognised the short, choppy blonde hair, the colour of the mountain tops, that stood out starkly against the dark backdrop. Merida sighed, placing her head back down against the bed, feeling a cool chill run down her back. It seemed she had forgotten the coldness of Norway, as she shivered under the blanket, pulling them closer. She was still wearing the same dress that she had worn when she left Dunbroch, having brought nothing but herself.

Dunbroch. The name of her kingdom brought nothing but the heavy feeling of guilt to her chest as she attempted to fall back asleep. She missed it, though not enough to want to return. She missed her father, her three brothers and Angus. She even missed her mother, no matter how many of her screeches and orders had drove her mad.

It felt like only minutes after Merida had drifted back to sleep, that she felt someone shaking her awake, their cool hands on her shoulders shocking her from the warmness of her slumber. She forced her eyes open, this time greeted by the frosted light of the morning rather than the shadows of the night. Bjorn was leaning over her, his eyes resting whether she was actually awake. Upon noticing her open eyes, he hurried back, knocking the bed to make sure she was awake before nudging for her to get up.

"No sleep for the North." He shouted as he busied himself with pulling in a layer of fur that wrapped around him like a second skin. "Get up."

She lifted once again, reaching to hold her head. It had pained so bad in the comfort of the darkness, when she had little else to focus on. Now that she was distracted by the icy daylight and the boy who shuffled around his room in front of her, Merida could feel her attention on the pain residing and the uncomfortableness she felt, along with it.

"Where are we going?" She asked, and Bjorn stopped short, turning to look at her, forgetting that she was new to his language.

"To see the sights." He said.

Merida glanced down at her worn dress, hoping that he would get the hint. Bjorn did, as he nodded, throwing her a lump of material bound by a single piece of thin rope.

"From Lagertha." He said, as she unravelled the package, laying the dresses against the bed, admiring them. "She hopes you like them."

"They're beautiful." Merida said in thanks.

Bjorn nodded, leaving her to get ready. The dress was sleeveless, left to be slipped over a thick undershirt. It was surprising, how warm it was even in the cool air of Norway.

As Merida slipped out of the hut, Bjorn started walking for her to follow. He glanced at her momentarily before looking back as he noticed something. His brows were raised, and he noticeably held back a laugh.