The next day, Merida and her mother bond together as they help each other look for food. Merida and Elinor, who still retains most of her human senses, arrive at the witch's cottage, where the witch leaves a message in her cauldron, saying that the spell will be permanent by the second sunrise unless she 'mends the bond torn by pride.' Merida gets Elinor out of the castle, as her father is a bear hunter. The witch gives Merida a spell cake and she gives it to Elinor, but it transforms her into a black bear. Merida asks the witch for a spell to change her fate. A trail of them soon lead her to a witch's cottage. After she wins the competition herself, Elinor forewarns Merida that feuding set right, but Merida leaves and encounters a wil-o-the wisp. Merida chooses archery to win her freedom. The lords arrive with their sons, who are not her type.

One evening, Merida discovers that the king's allied clan lords are presenting their sons as suitors for her hand in marriage. However, Merida enjoys riding through the Highlands on her horse, Angus, and practicing archery and swordplay she inherited those skills from her father. Elinor attempts to convince Merida to be a perfect princess. In Brave, Merida lives in the mystical Scottish kingdom of DunBroch with her mother, Queen Elinor, her father, King Fergus, and her mischievous triplet brothers, Hamish, Hubert, and Harris.

Brave merida