Merida would be the last one to admit that she’s gotten herself into situations like this before. Her time outside of Beqanna has left her with a lot of experience in adventures and the like, but at her core she was still the young filly whose heart seems to lead her instead of her brain. She wouldn’t trade it for any other way, though. Those who are too logical or practical were dull – and Merida refused to be seen as dull.

Of course, now she was probably being seen as silly and honestly quite dim-witted. The pair standing over her had a glimmer of mischief in their eyes, which did not surprise the black mare. There are so many types of creatures that sprout up in Beqanna, she did not think for a second that the two fillies could not help her out of the icy water, she just had to convince them it was worth doing. She sighs - this might take awhile.

Thankfully, Merida was quite the swimmer – she was strong and agile, and though was tiring slowly (as any mortal horse would), she continues to tread water purposefully. Her strides became elongated and controlled, keeping her head above the water just as far as it needed to be so that she would not waste unnecessary energy.  The only thing that worried Merida (and it was at the very far reaches of her thoughts) was the cold. She could tread water for as long as she needed. The cold, however, is unforgiving. Soon her muscles would grow weary and taut beneath her ebony skin and fail her.

Her golden eyes roll towards the purple twins who gazed at her as if she was a feast to be had. Merida’s skin pricks, though not with fear or from the bitter cold water against her skin, but anticipation. This – this is what she had been looking for.

She was a thrill-seeker. The idea of the unknown excited her and she thirsts for it. The boredom that she had built up during her time in the meadow all seems worth it now – especially when they offer her a way out. She seems oddly calm as she paddles in the water, surveying the winged creatures thoughtfully. They were almost serpent-like, their green eyes hungrily on her. Merida felt almost as if she was in a labyrinth, confronted by magical and mysterious creatures that would grant her a wish, but not in the way she had hoped.

The pair stood before her and Merida was enthralled at their great wings and spiraled horns, immediately in awe of their obvious power at such a young age. Merida was not one to be jealous, but she was one to be in want. She senses that the two foals were getting a huge thrill out of this situation as much as Merida was, and she decides to use this to her advantage.

“Perhaps I am, lasses.” There was a hint of a Scottish accent on her voice as she spoke, nostrils flaring red as she tries to keep the water from entering them. If she could have shrugged beneath the frigid, dark waters she would have. “The magic in Beqanna is great as well as your offer…” she takes a breath and swallows, fighting the numbness that was beginning to shroud her – she had been in worse situations before. “Tell me, what is it you two need? What would benefit two brilliant creatures as you? What is it you could possibly desire from a mere mortal such as myself?” A couple breaths were taken here. Speaking was causing her to tire more rapidly, and Merida compensates by quickening the strokes of her strong legs.

Truly Merida had nothing to offer in the way of magic or treasures (though she always had craved and desired it – oh how wonderful it would be to have a trait!) – but loyalty, servitude, protection, tracking…those were the qualities she bore well. “I am resilient and strong. I have no loyalties here in Beqanna yet – but that can change.” Merida says this thoughtfully, not desperately, wondering if perhaps her vigor and ability to stay above the water’s surface for such a long while would entice the young witch-like creatures, or the fact that her allegiance could be bought. “And though not because of magic, I’m exceptionally good at finding something – or someone – who does not want to be found.” Her breath was slowly becoming shaky, the fierce temperature of the water taking its toll on her body.

They could of course let her drown (that is still an option, Merida is aware) or perhaps even submerge her under the surface and quicken her fate. However this thought is at the back of her mind as her gold eyes trace their features, an expression of longing and desire on her face. She desperately was hoping she would get to see the power that the two truly had.

She doesn’t know these two nor doesn’t recognize their features as familiar. She feels as though (and her intuition, she will find out, is correct – lucky her) she should know these creatures; know their names and their families. They seem incredibly important, or are successful in perceiving themselves as such. Either way, Merida intentionally plays into their hand – understanding full well that it is possible the second she angers them, the consequences would be dire. Whether it be at the girl’s hand or someone far more fearsome, Merida was not interested in trying to gain the upper hand with these two – at least not yet. She was only interested in being brought out of the bloody water.

Merida heard what the two wished for, but her mind did not comprehend it as quickly as she would have if she had been standing on solid ground. Her dark legs feel dead in the water, cutting through the frigid temperature with a mind of their own. Her fiery red mane and forelock plaster against her ebony neck, her body melting into the equally dark water. Her flame-colored tail splays out behind her, stark and glaring against the near-black water that she churns so desperately.

She suddenly feels something besides the painful numbing ache of her legs and chest. It is surprising and extremely unfamiliar, and Merida snorts uncertainly in response. Of course, the feeling was that of Venom’s metaphorical hand gripping her tight, making the black mare feel almost weightless in the icy waters. The young filly’s energy was palpable, buzzing and humming like electricity as Merida feels herself becoming enshrouded by it. It was not a comforting feeling. She does not stop swimming though – her golden eyes lock with the hungry eyes of the twin’s on the shoreline – they could (and probably would) easily let her slip through their fingers the moment she let her guard down. The devious and mysterious pair, though promising to help, could not be trusted fully – Merida is sure that both Venom and Virus knew that already, anyway.

“Yes, yes,” she says quickly and breathlessly, her voice sounding muffled from Venom’s grip on her body. She inhales. “I’ll find anyone you’d like.” The air rushes from her lungs as she speaks; the squeezing is becoming more intense with every exhalation – like a python suffocating its prey before devouring it. She grimaces and clenches her jaw firmly, teeth bared in discomfort and awaiting the expected release onto the shoreline (hopefully) from the young filly.

She wonders what their names are and where they're from - where they get all of their confidence and their ability to manipulate to get exactly what they want.

She can feel their eyes on her and despite being just fillies, they cause an uneasy feeling in the pit of Merida’s stomach. It churns wildly, the excitement mixing with absolute dread. She is not afraid of the two (at least not yet), no. But the strange way they surround her like sharks to blood brings concern to her piercingly golden eyes – she can only imagine who these two belong to and Merida was not keen on meeting them. As for the moment, they had been a means to an end, and Merida meant the same to them. She would stick to her word, almost to a fault, as she always would and hoped that she would be on her way, never to interact with the two beastly children ever again.

Something pricks with alarm inside Merida, part of her wondering if she would ever be able to be released from their unsettling clutches. She pushes down the thought with a hard swallow, nodding understandably as the girls eagerly describe their wishes. Merida’s jaw clenches restlessly as they request a foal, snorting sharply in response. Other than that, no words were uttered in reply to their sadistic demand.

Merida inhales deeply, her eyes scanning the meadow intently as she searches for signs of life besides their own. Her black ears flick carefully; listening attentively for the sound of small hooves on soft grass and ignoring the calls of birds, wind against the trees, or adult horses’ murmurs on the wind. All the while, the ebony mare keeps the twins in sight from the corner of her eyes, not feeling comfortable enough to let them out of her sight (and rightly so).

“Stay here,” she says suddenly and rather quietly, brushing past the twins (careful not to actually touch them) with easy strides, brilliant yet sad eyes focused on an area beyond them. As to not offend them, she calmly adds: “Fearsome creatures find it more difficult to lure innocent prey.” Merida passes them a few steps and warily looks over her shoulder at the two, almost as if she was waiting for them to change their mind. 

“Follow if you must, but stay hidden. Any hint of uncertainty from our target will make this task all the more challenging.”

She pauses, watching them. Merida hates that she feels like she’s giving them advice to track their own prey in the future, wondering if she will feel guilty for sharing information like this with them. They are young and impressionable, soaking everything up from the world around them. She says nothing else, for soon they will see how easy it is to lure and ‘capture’ someone without using force unless needed.

The black mare begins her route, head low to the grasses as she inhales the scent of the ground below her. The smell was thick with growing foliage and damp earth, but there were small traces of equine riddled through it. As she moved, she would sometimes turn right or turn left, stopping suddenly to inspect a print a little closer before continuing. The scent was becoming stronger. A foal’s scent was fresh and new, brimming with excitement and wonder – extremely distinct among the other smells of the meadow and especially different from the two fillies that were hopefully keeping their distance behind her (they smelt of poison and dripped with venom – how charming).

Merida suddenly halts, lifting her head for the first time since the beginning of her tracking. Her ears prick forward curiously, watching for movement. She was close – closer than she thought, actually, when her golden eyes catch the sight of a foal in the distance. She glances over her shoulder, hoping the twins were well hidden and would remain so for the time being until she returned with their gift to the small, frozen pond. She snorts sharply, wordlessly reminding them to stay put.

She begins to walk towards where the young equine was, her face alight with ease and comfort – she had to be extremely convincing to the foreign child if she hoped to keep herself from out of the grasp of the twins’ and their family.