Retreat

[Ayen]

Tori guided Merida back to her farm that border on the forest area of Moon Valley, going over to the barn behind the house where Shinta, Lily and Mary were waiting for them. Dropping down from the horse along with Nex after it stopped and going over to the rest of her friends to hug them.

“We heard what happened,” said Shinta.

“We were so worried,” said Mary.

“Are you guys all right?” asked Lily.

“We're fine,” answered Tori as she pulled away from the hug. “Large part to–”

“Me! I came in and took down that green bean with my bare hands!”

Tori stared at Nex, which caused Nex to grow silent as Tori walked over to the real person that saved them.

“Large part to her. Guys this is Merida. Merida, these are my friends Shinta, Mary and Lily. You already met Nex.”

“Nice to make your acquaintance,” said Nex holding out his hand to her. The others getting a chuckle at how pathetic he looked now that he was ratted out.

[Merida]

(On the phone)

So much was happening and so quickly. The bizarrely constructed town was getting farther behind them and they were arriving into more familiar surroundings: wide open space with plenty of trees. The forests weren't as lush as her homeland but it was nice to see all the same.

Angus was relieved to be rid of the extra weight, and tossed his mane of silky black hair about to show his approval. Merida smiled and patted his thick neck.

"Pleasure! A'hm glad ta be o' service. But it was yew, Tor-ee, o' saved me from tha' man. So I tha'nk yew as well."

Merida hopped off Angus, and the exhausted steed laid down to rest from the travels they had today. Rather than doing what any princess would do, she shook Nex's hand, and with vigor.

"So, uh, anyone mind tellin' me where a' am? I was in Scotlan' one moment an' the next, 'ere."

[Ayen]

"Pleasure! A'hm glad ta be o' service. But it was yew, Tor-ee, o' saved me from tha' man. So I tha'nk yew as well."

“Did anyone else make sense of that?”

“She was thanking Tori.”

“Oh.”

“It was nothing, really,” said Tori modestly.

"So, uh, anyone mind tellin' me where a' am? I was in Scotlan' one moment an' the next, 'ere."

“You're in Moon Valley. This is going to come as a shock to you but you're not in your world anymore. You've been transported here.”

[Merida]

"A man o' can do tha' amount o' damage? A la'ight tha' brought me to ano'ther place? A'hm not surprised nor sho'cked." Merida gave Tori a sheepish grin. Maybe on the outside she looked calm as the harbor at home, but on the inside she was worried about what could be going on at home. No doubt her father was sending out scouting parties by now, her mother may be on horseback to find her on their favorite trails, and her brothers would be doing their part as well. The whole kingdom would be.

"So...a' don't know how ta' get home," she spoke a little slower so everyone else could understand her. Strange, she just now noticed everyone had a different accent than hers. A different world indeed. "An' a' need ta soon. Ma parents will be concerned, but my mum will be angrier than a bear." That was putting it mildly. Her mother was a bear once, and when she was angry, it made her nervous.

[Ayen]

"A man o' can do tha' amount o' damage? A la'ight tha' brought me to ano'ther place? A'hm not surprised nor sho'cked."

“We're not sure how people are brought here. Just that they are. You're not the first person and I highly doubt you'll be the last.”

"So...a' don't know how ta' get home. An' a' need ta soon. Ma parents will be concerned, but my mum will be angrier than a bear."

“That may prove difficult.”

“We don't exactly know how to get you home either.”

“Or if you even have a home to go back to.”

“Lily!”

“She's a big girl, Tori. I think she can handle the truth.”

[Ariel]

"Tori!" Ariel ran into the barn and wrapped her arms around Tori in a big hug. A relieved smile on her face at seeing that her friend was okay after news of the confrontation downtown had reached her ears. "I'm so glad to see you're safe. Are you hurt any?" Ariel pulled away from Tori, looking her over just in case before her blue eyes noticed the new person and her horse. "Who's this?" Ariel asked while admiring the girl's red hair and the horse by her side.

[Merida]

If there's a home she could return to. Merida couldn't understand what Lily could possibly mean by that. No home? But when she left it was perfectly fine. "No, ma' home should bee fein. A' left it in one piece so a'hm sure it'll be a'right." The princess had to believe that. She had to believe her mother, her father, and her little brothers were waiting for her back at the castle. If home no longer existed, what could she do in such a strange new world?

"So, in tha' meantime, a'hll jus' 'ave to adjust to this new pl'ace. Ma bow did nothin' 'gainst that staff totin' 'god'. A'hll 'ave ta practice more it would seem. Any chance thar's a pla'yce a'h can practice?"

That was when another red-head came to Tori and gave her a hug. "Not ta worry. She'll bee a'right! I dun think that...bampot will come after us. An' tha name's Merida."

[Ayen]

"No, ma' home should bee fein. A' left it in one piece so a'hm sure it'll be a'right."

Lily was going to dispute that claim but Tori lightly hit her in the stomach with her elbow to keep her from speaking while smiling to Merida.

"So, in tha' meantime, a'hll jus' 'ave to adjust to this new pl'ace. Ma bow did nothin' 'gainst that staff totin' 'god'. A'hll 'ave ta practice more it would seem. Any chance thar's a pla'yce a'h can practice?"

“I could set up a shooting range here, actually. I'd just need to get some wood for the targets.”

"Tori!"

“Ariel?”

Tori had barely got the redhead's name spoken before she was glomped by the girl. Nearly being knocked over at Ariel's excitement. Nex looking on with a mix of jealousy and envy on his facial expression.

“Why does she always get the girls?”

"I'm so glad to see you're safe. Are you hurt any?"

“I'm fine, Ariel. Please try not to worry.”

"Not ta worry. She'll bee a'right! I dun think that...bampot will come after us. An' tha name's Merida."

“Bampot? What's a bampot?”

“An objectionable and foolish person.”

“In other words–” Lily looked at Nex– “You.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny, Lily.”

“It's a small town. Word travels pretty fast around here. If he's smart he'll stay in hiding for now and try to figure out his next move. Do you have any idea what you were fighting?”

“Only a little. He kept claiming to be a god. Had this strange staff that fired energy at us. I remember it suddenly becoming colder too. When I attacked him head on to give Merida a chance to hit him with her bow he sent me flying across the air with no trouble. The arrow just bounced off him too...”

“A mystic staff, potential control over the temperature, superhuman strength and invulnerability by the sound of it.”

“I hit a god in the face.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I could.”

“See? Bampot born and raised.”

“Anyways... Ariel, this is Merida. Merida, this is Ariel.”

[Ariel]

Ariel lifted a hand over her mouth as she laughed lightly at Lily and Nex's conversation before paying attention to what Mary and Tori were saying. Her concern for Tori only growing at the reveal that they were fighting a dangerous person who called himself a god. "Are you sure he won't come after you?" Her concerns were distracted for a moment as she was properly introduced to Merida and smiled towards the girl as she extended her hand to her. "It's nice to meet you."

[Merida]

Merida chortled at the conversation the group was having, even snorted. Her mother may have had a thing or two to say about that, but she wasn't here to dictate otherwise. That gradually wiped the smile from her face. Merida and Eleanor grew close after the bear incident, very close--it was the childhood dream she always wanted. There were still lessons to learn to become a proper queen for the kingdom one day, but she had lightened up the work load so she could be free spirited.

"'s a pleasure." Merida snapped herself out of her depressing daydream and shook Ariel's hand while plastering a smile to her face, "An' no, 'e won't be comin' after us. With tha power 'e had at 'is disposal 'e coulda done jus' that with ease. But 'e disappeared fer some reason." Which was puzzling. What could make someone as powerful as him suddenly vanish from sight?

"A'h don't mean ta suddenly back out of a' conversation bu' I'd liek ta practice. Ah'll jus' shoot at one o' tha' trees." Merida briskly walked out of the barn. The fight with Loki severely injured her pride and faith in her ability to hit the mark. Yes, he had power at his disposal, but surely she could have done...something. Anything.

[Ayen]

"It's nice to meet you."

"'s a pleasure."

"Are you sure he won't come after you?"

"An' no, 'e won't be comin' after us. With tha power 'e had at 'is disposal 'e coulda done jus' that with ease. But 'e disappeared fer some reason."

“All I remember is hearing thunder then when I turned my head to see if he was following us he was nowhere to be found.”

“Heh. What kind of a god is scared by a little thunder?”

"A'h don't mean ta suddenly back out of a' conversation bu' I'd liek ta practice. Ah'll jus' shoot at one o' tha' trees."

“Go ahead. We'll be here in the barn if you need anything.”

[Ariel]

"I'd hate to interrupt this conversation but... can someone explain what a god is?" The only thing she understood is that the man was dangerous but despite being on Jherra for so long she had no idea what a god was. Merida would then draw her attention when she talked about practicing. "Practice what?"

[Ayen]

"I'd hate to interrupt this conversation but... can someone explain what a god is?"

“You don't know what a god is?”

“You know it's funny all this time and it never came up in conversation.”

“Hard to talk about gods when they're always trying to blow you up.”

“How can you live here for so long and not know what a god is by now?”

“Go easy on her she's still new to all of this.”

“A god is a being of unlimited power, knowledge and existence. Something that is credited with creation and is praised by people who usually go their whole lives without ever seeing or hearing from that deity. That said for all we know this man may just be a powerful being and not a god in a true definition of the word. Do you understand?”

[Ariel]

Ariel eyes went over Lily, Shinta, Nex and Mary before finally setting on Tori who explained what a god was. Her soft blue eyes widening at the news as she realized just what potentially Tori and Merida had survived. "I understand that you're lucky to be alive. Are there a lot of these gods?"

[Ayen]

"I understand that you're lucky to be alive. Are there a lot of these gods?"

“Hard to say. With the realms conversing there could very well be an infinite number of them.”

“Gods aren't exactly known for dropping in on us humans all that often.”

“No, they much prefer just sitting up there in the clouds watching your suffering.”

“My god isn't like that.”

“He's not, is he?”

“The only god we've really seen in person before this incident was when Kara became a god.”