A lightness filled Merida’s chest as she traversed the familiar woods on her way to Freya’s. She did not need the help of the will-o’-the-wisps this time. She trusted her instincts to guide her exactly where she needed to go.
Relief washed over her as she came upon the grass-covered cottage.
“Freya!” Merida called. She dismounted Angus and took off for the cottage. She pounded on the door. “Freya, it worked!”
The door opened.
“Who goes there?” The witch’s eyes widened as they leveled on Merida. “Ah, there you are, dearie. I was wondering when you would show up.”
Merida took in her hunched back, wrinkled skin, and wild silver hair and experienced another bout of relief.
“It worked,” Merida said.
“So it did. You’ve had quite the adventure,” Freya said. She opened the door wider. “Come in. Let us have some tea.”
Merida hesitated before stepping into the cottage. It was just as she remembered: wall-to-wall bear carvings. She looked around for the talking crow, but did not see it.
“Here, here. Sit,” Freya said.
“I cannot stay for very long,” Merida said. “But I had questions that I believe only you can answer.”
Freya turned, a teakettle in her hands. “What sort of questions, dear?”
“Well. First…” Merida was almost afraid to ask. “Is everything back to…normal?”
The witch lifted her shoulders. “I guess it depends on what you consider normal. King Fergus and Queen Elinor are hosting the clans of DunBroch Kingdom for the Highland Games, just as they have done for the past twenty years.”
King Fergus and Queen Elinor. It felt so good to hear that. It was as if the past two weeks had been nothing but a bad dream.
And there lay the question.
“Why did this happen?” Merida asked. “If not much has changed, why did I have to go through everything I just endured?”
“Oh, but much has changed,” Freya said. “The intention of the spell was for you to experience a great transformation.”
Merida looked down at herself. “I did transform, but I am no longer a bear. I am back to being me.”
“On the outside,” Freya said. “You must look in here.” She pressed her hand over Merida’s heart. “This is where the biggest transformation has taken place. You have changed very much.”
As Freya’s words sank in, Merida began to fully grasp what this had all been about.
She had changed. When she first came to Freya, she wanted nothing more than to escape her fate. But after observing her mother as a young woman and witnessing how Elinor had put aside personal wants for the betterment of MacCameron Kingdom, Merida became more open to doing the same. She was ready to embrace her duties as a member of Clan DunBroch’s royal family in her own way.
Merida grabbed Freya’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Thank you. For everything.”
“Oh, I only did what you asked me to do,” Freya said. “Now go to Castle DunBroch. You do not want to miss the big feast.”
Merida wrapped Freya up in a warm hug, then quickly mounted Angus and headed for home.