The Difference Between Real and Pretend

Three

Maudie scurries away, and I can probably guess that she's relieved to be away from Merida. The thought makes me snort quietly, and Merida elbows me. Ow. Her elbows are really sharp.

"Mah friend here needs formal clothes fer the ball tomorrow, an' some informal clothes fer thah day wear," Merida explains to the hawk-nosed lady. The lady shoves me into a chair, and I shoot a glare at her. If only I could just pelt her with a couple of snowballs... but Merida would get mad at me.

The woman takes my measurements, mutters quietly to herself, and nods a few time. Finally, she shoves me out of the chair, her nails digging into my shoulder uncomfortably.

"It will be ready by sundown!" The woman declares loudly, shrilly. She vehemently points to her door. "Now leave! I must work in peace!"

Merida leaves the hut, and I do the same. We're back outside, and I sigh in relief. The hawk nosed lady creeped me out, and Maudie was just plain weird, being frightened all the time. I don't even recall hearing her talk, other than squeaking out in terror.

"So, what now?" I ask Merida, twirling my staff in one hand. "Don't you have a whole day of birthday planning?"

"I got out o' it," Merida shrugs. "Told me mum that I want thah ball tah be ah surprise."

"I thought you didn't want a ball?" I question her. She grins sheepishly, and it's a nice change from the glares she usually gives me.

"Mah mum insists on having a ball. So if I can't git out o' having one, at least I don't have tah plan it." Merida chuckles quietly.

"So I guess you want me to go hide in the stables now?" I ask glumly. Merida rolls her eyes.

"I was gunna ask yuh if yuh wanted tah come tah thah FireFalls with meh-"

"FireFalls? Last time I checked fire and ice don't match."

"Stop interrupting meh! It's just ah waterfall!" Merida snaps playfully. "But if yuh would rather go back tah thah stables..."

"To the FireFalls it is!" I say enthusiastically.

Merida grins at my comment, her smile glowing up her face. It's enough to make me catch my breath, because her smile makes me feel like my heart just stopped. Which is weird. It's not like my heart beats at all, considering I'm an immortal. I brush it off as plain nerves due to my current situation. I mean, I was just shot back a few centuries backwards in time. That's enough to make anyone queasy.

Merida leads me away from the collections of huts scattered across the ground, and into a forest.

The forest is much quieter than the noisy castle. In her kingdom, everyone's always yelling. Once again, it's the strangest kingdom I've ever come across.

As we walk silently, I begin to notice something weird. String up everywhere, like lights on a Christmas tree, are targets, with dozens of arrows sticking out of them. Each arrow is expertly sticking into the big, red bullseye. I point it out to Merida in curiosity, and she shrugs.

"It's good practice," she explains. "I use this path tah practice firing mah arrows."

"You have good aim," I say. She smirks a little cockily.

"O' course I do," she states arrogantly.

"Not better than me, though," I say innocently, pretending not to care. Merida rolls her eyes.

"Try meh, yuh snowman grandpa," Merida grins. "If I had mah bow right now, I would make yuh cry."

"Suuuuuuuure," I drawl.