h u r r i c a n e;

She didn’t know much about Scotland, but anywhere had to be better than Arendelle and the righteous lynch-mobs still hoping to catch Elsa one day. What she would give to live somewhere no one would know her name and the curse she was forced to live with. But living on her own mountain was about as good as it could get for her. “–Well, shouldn’t you do the inevitable, then, and scoot along home? To claim your throne and whatnot?” Elsa caught the brief look of disgust on her face, and only grew curious about the fiery redhead, much to her annoyance. “What? You don’t look very pleased with that idea.” The blonde swept her hair over her shoulder as she narrowed her eyes at Merida, her lips pulling down into a frown. “Not to me. Fear means keeping people safe. It means being cautious. Something you don’t seem to know much about. But I suppose not all of us can be grizzly-wrestlers or whatever it is you do up in Scotland.” She shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest as she wandered around, casting side glances at the other young woman from the corner of her eye as she did so. “You think a game is going to change my mind about you? Maybe you’re the one who’s mental here…. But fine. Might as well do something to pass the time,” she murmured. She turned and conjured up a seat made of ice, and gracefully sat down, chin and nose pointed upwards, very much the queen despite leaving her crown behind in Arendelle. “Will you start, or shall I?”

The concept of being a queen and ruling over her clan was something Merida had lost interest in a very long time ago. Her life was meant to be one of free roaming and adventure, not limitations and headaches. “Nah, not right now. My da’ has that covered until I decide. Or I hope that he does since the only people that I even told I was leavin’ were my little brothers - who I’m sure told me mum at least,” she told the blonde, hand reaching back behind her as she pulled an arrow from her quiver since she didn’t want to end up messing up her bow from her habits, “I’m not. Let me tell you something; where I’m from, you get three suitors from the three different clans of the area. They compete for your hand in marriage. I shot for me own which means no marriage. No marriage means more stress for me and less time for me to do what I love. And I will not be caged from doing what I like - living. Being queen may be an honor to most but to me? It’s nothing but a trap. You would understand that, wouldn’t you? Isn’t that why you’re out here?” Merida made talking gestures with her free hand whilst Elsa spoke as she ran the tip of her arrow against the frost covered ground, making the celtic symbol of her clan in the process, “You really need to learn to stop repeating yourself. Caution makes life less interesting. Overcaution leads to paranoia.” Shrugging her shoulders, Merida soon looked over at Elsa once her symbol was complete, “Can’t hurt to try, can it? And don’t go saying that it could because I won’t believe you.” Turning around, the red head moved to a tree stump, removed the fallen snow from it and sat herself down. Legs bent, arms resting on her thighs and hunched over; nothing at all like the other before her who was fair too poised, “You can start. Hit me with your best shot, icicle butt.”

“Where is this Dunbroch? Maybe I should head there, so I’ll finally be rid of you. Since it’s so boring, after all,” Elsa murmured meanly, regretting her harsh words as soon as she’d said them. She rubbed her arms absent-mindedly as she paced through the snow, shooting Merida a peeved look. “I’m not feeling bad for myself. I’m only warning you, in hopes that you’ll actually listen. But you seem very stubborn. That, or you’re not very smart when someone’s telling you you may be in danger.” She sniffed, her nose in the air as she looked away. “Plenty of people spend their lives alone. Besides, how do you know I’m not already a bit mental? –Will that make you leave?”

Merida couldn't help but let out a cheeky laugh, "The high hills of Scotland, snowflake. I don't think that you would be able to live more than a day there considering that it's far from what you're used to - I s'ppose. But if you really think that would get rid of me, you'd be rather wrong since every wanderer always finds their way back home and I have a throne to eventually take," she told the blonde despite the disgusted expression that crossed Merida's face the moment that she spoke about becoming more than a princess. Quite frankly, being a princess was hassle enough let alone queen. Strumming the string of her bow casually, the younger girl only watched the older blonde with a smirk on her features since pissing her off was much too easy. "I'm not very smart in a lot of cases considering I spend a lot of times surrounded by grizzly bears back home. So danger to me is more of a way to have fun than run and cower in fear. Fear is for those that don't want to live." Pushing herself off the tree, the redhead tossed her hair to one side as the smirk shifted to a smile, "Nope! If ye are mental, it'll make this much more interesting. We should play twenty questions! That way you can realize I'm not that bad company."

Elsa didn’t know what she’d done to deserve the terror that was the exuberant redhead she’d crossed paths with, but there was only so much she can take of the girl. She’d thought she succeeded in isolating herself from everything– from Arendelle, her duty as queen, and her sister Anna, but ever since meeting the fiery personality that was Merida, she hadn’t been able to get rid of her, no matter how she tried. At some point, she’d just gotten fed up and went off to cool down, knowing the danger that came with losing control of her emotions– and after some time, she found her way back, where she found Merida practicing her archery. She hadn’t meant to catch her off-guard, and almost found herself smiling as the girl fumbled, but the moment was gone as quick as it came, and the stoic blank look she’d perfected was back once more. She pursed her lips as she tugged on her gloves– a precaution, since it didn’t seem that Merida was going to be leaving any time soon. “I am. I thought you might’ve finally gotten bored up and decided to move on,” she murmured pleasantly, her voice quiet and level. ‘Pity party’ struck a chord in her, and she struggled not to lash out, silently urging herself to not react. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Merida.”

The red head twirled the arrow between her fingers for a while as she thought about the blondes words. Was she really that bad of company that she had to go on walks to hope she’d rid of her? Merida thought herself to be amazing company so she just couldn’t comprehend why anyone would want her gone. Albeit, she was a bit peculiar for a princess since she had very different interests she could at least provide entertainment if the person was receptive enough - kind of didn’t help that the Queen was not. “Did you really reckon that I would do something like that? Did you really want me to leave and rob you of my glorious presence? Personally, I don’t plan on going anywhere since going somewhere would imply Dunbroch and it’s is very boring back home,” she told her as she tapped the tip of the arrow to her chin. Merida let out an unamused hum as she leaned her shoulder against a nearby tree, “Oh, really? So the whole ‘i’m dangerous’ thing isn’t you basically feeling bad for yourself and whatever it is that you do? You know, Elsa, you need t’get it out of your head that being alone is good for you when it’s not. That’s how people go mental. Bonkers. Cookoo. ”