“Young Macintosh! Grab something!” Merida screamed.

At the last moment, Young Macintosh snagged one of the rocks near the top of the falls. “I’m here,” he gasped. “I’m fine.”

But as soon as he spoke those words, his fingers started to slide off the rock’s slippery surface. “Merida!” Young Macintosh cried. “Please—help—I can’t hold on!”

“I’m coming!” Merida cried. She flung herself flat on the ground and reached out as far as she could. Her fingers were just inches from Young Macintosh’s hand.

“Grab my hand and I’ll pull you up!” Merida called.

Young Macintosh reached for Merida’s hand, but she was still too far away. Merida gritted her teeth as she pushed herself as far over the ledge as she dared.

At that moment, Merida’s pouch tipped forward, plunging the emerald over the side of the Fire Falls!

“No!” Merida cried.

The emerald teetered on one of the rocks. Merida could reach it. But then she couldn’t help Young Macintosh. She had a choice to make: grab the emerald, or save Young Macintosh.

But it was not really a choice at all. Merida reached out as far as she could and gripped Young Macintosh’s wrist. Then she heaved with all her might. Young Macintosh just made it over the edge and safely onto the cliff.

But the emerald tumbled off the ledge. In an instant, it was lost forever in the churning waters of the Fire Falls.

Merida fell back on the grass, breathing heavily. “It’s gone,” she moaned. “The emerald is gone.”

“But you saved my life,” Young Macintosh said. “Thank you, Merida. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Merida replied. “But what are we going to do without the second emerald? How can we fix the Fire Falls now? This is all my fault.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Young Macintosh interrupted her. “If my gammy rope hadn’t snapped—”

“I should’ve let you carry both emeralds in your pouch—” Merida argued.

“But I never should have taken one of the emeralds to begin with,” Young Macintosh said.

“And neither should have I,” Merida said quietly.

Young Macintosh opened the flap of his pouch and pulled out the remaining emerald. “What should we do with this?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Merida shrugged. She reached for the emerald. “May I hold it?”

“Sure,” Young Macintosh replied.

The emerald was heavy in Merida’s hand. She stared into its green depths and remembered the way it had glowed on the stone.

“This is no ordinary gem,” Merida finally said.

“I know,” Young Macintosh replied in a quiet voice. “I can’t explain it, but there’s something mysterious about it.”

“Yes,” Merida said. “But I have a feeling that it belongs in the cave, where we found it. And maybe—maybe this special emerald will be enough to fix the Fire Falls, even without the other one.”

Young Macintosh nodded. He put the emerald in his pouch and made sure the flap was closed. Then he held out a hand to help Merida to her feet.

As they walked toward the hidden loch, a new worry began to trouble Merida. If one emerald didn’t fix the water, how would she and Young Macintosh get home? The rocks were too slippery to climb without his rope. And no one from their clans knew where they were.

Soon Merida and Young Macintosh reached the loch. The water was getting worse. It was as dark as a moonless night. Merida started running toward the boulders at the far edge of the loch.

“Come on,” she urged Young Macintosh. “Hurry!”

Merida flung aside the tangle of vines that covered the entrance to the cavern. It was darker and colder inside than she remembered. As soon as Merida’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, she crept toward the ledge. The golden glow was gone. Merida glanced around the cavern, wondering if there were any wisps about. She would feel much better if a wisp flickered near the platform. It would be a sign that she and Young Macintosh had made the right decision.

But no wisp appeared.

“I have the emerald,” Young Macintosh said as he walked up to Merida. “So, should I—”

“Place it on the stone, just as we found it,” Merida advised him.

They knelt down at the same time. Then Young Macintosh leaned forward and put the emerald in the exact center of the ledge. Merida crossed her fingers as she waited for the emerald to start glowing. The gem stood there for a moment before it started to wobble back and forth. Then the emerald toppled onto its side and rolled toward the edge of the stone!

Merida lunged for the emerald. She caught it just before it fell off the ledge.

“Och! Clumsy of me,” Young Macintosh exclaimed. “You want to put the emerald back?”

“I’ll do my best,” Merida replied. She ran her hand over the platform, trying to find a small dip that might hold the emerald in place. But it was completely flat and smooth.

Merida frowned in the dim light of the cavern. “The stone is flat, but the emeralds are round,” she said. “How on earth did they rest here by themselves?”

“Maybe it really does take two emeralds,” Young Macintosh said. He seemed worried. “Maybe the two emeralds supported each other.”

“Well, we only have one now,” Merida said. “So it will have to stand on its own.”

Merida bit her lip as she carefully balanced the emerald in the center of the platform. She held it there for a long moment. Then, when Merida was certain the emerald would stay in place, she slowly moved her hands away.

Once more, the emerald did not glow. When it started to wobble, Merida grabbed it and held it steady. But as soon as she moved her hands, the emerald started to fall again.

“Stay!” she cried. “Just stay—stay in place!”

But the emerald did not stay, and it did not glow.