To Love A Myth - Book 1: Mr. Higgs and the Maid🎩✔️

43

"Would you like to say a few words?"

"I guess I should..." Merida cleared her throat. "I wish we could have gone on longer than we have, but ye've been good to us for these past few months. Ye've worked hard and worked through a lot of things that not just anything can go through. Ye really showed yer courage and stepped up to the plate. Ye will be missed, but this is for the best."

"Merida," Edgar said, pulling on her dress. "Can I say something?"

"Of course ye can, laddie."

"If it weren't for you, I would have died. That's it!" he said, looking back at Merida and Higgs. "Can I do it?"

"I dinnae ken it would be a good idea."

"But I know how to do it, Merida."

"Not this time, Edgar. Mr. Higgs, ye do the honors."

"Very well."

Higgs knelt down and used a flint rock to strike against some metal and threw out a spark. The cloth caught the spark and a small flame started to travel up the linen. Higgs stood up and the three of them stepped back as the pile of clothing started to smoke.

"Hand me that." Higgs said.

Merida handed him the small cup and Higgs threw the contents onto the clothing. Flames suddenly burst from the pile of clothing and a good blaze was showing.

"Goodbye..." he said softly, giving a small salute.

"And an yer out on the moors of Scotland, that's how ye would keep yerself warm for the night." Merida said, putting her hands on her hips. "Weel, now that that is over, where are we to go?"

"Anywhere and everywhere. I'm treated you both to a shopping extravaganza. You can get whatever you like on the condition that I get to have clothing made for you. I need to have some made for myself, actually, so it's nothing out of the way. Will that be allowed?"

"Ye're the boss, Laird Northumberly." Merida said with a sigh. "Cannae really deny trying to provide for yer household."

"Indeed. Let's go before we lose our daylight."

"Is it alright to leave a fire going?"

"It's fine."

*****************************

After the obligatory clothing shopping and measuring, they went to all the shops and picked out baubles and toys and such. Higgs was surprised that they didn't pick out more things. The two of them were very reserved in the few things they had picked out. Merida had chosen a few things with great care, taking in the price and what it was made of while Edgar was careful to choose things that would go far. Higgs thought by the time he left town he would be loaded down with boxes but he only had about four.

As the day drew nearer to the afternoon, Merida and Edgar were in the bakery looking for some sweets while Higgs stood outside. He loved sweets but the werewolf made his senses ten times stronger than usual and being in the bakery made him sick from smelling the sugars. His stomach gurgled and he put his hand over it, wincing from the sudden overwhelming hunger he began to experience. He held onto his stomach until the hunger subsided, but he was starting to sweat and he looked up at the sky.

"You must be getting hungry."

Higgs looked over and found Gretchen staring at him with a basket of bread in her arms.

"Gretchen."

"Let me guess: werewolf month?"

"Yes; how'd you know?"