Another week went by and Merida hadn't turned up.
Jamison thought it would be a good time to check on his son, since he hadn't seen Higgs since the new month. He had also gotten letters from Margaret in concern for him and so he decided to take a small trip up the hill to check on him. The weather was on the tumble for the day, not really knowing whether it wanted to rain or shine, and Jamison finally made it up the hill to Higgs' manor. He knocked on the door and was surprised to find that Boston was there.
"Where's Merida?" he asked.
"That is the question of the month, I believe." He said, letting Jamison walk in.
Jamison made a face. "What do you mean?"
"She's gone missing... or so we're hoping."
"Where is my son?" Jamison growled.
"He's in the forest behind the mansion, scouring every inch of the trees to try and find her. He's been looking for days. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but... it's possible she may have left for good this time."
Jamison clenched his fist and left out the back door to go and find his son.
Higgs tripped again on level ground and he cursed out loud. He knew he should have eaten something before he left and he knew he should have brought something with him as well, but the month was going by and Merida was nowhere to be found. She had promised to help him get better about his fears and controlling them; how to harness them and use them for strength instead of cowering behind them. He needed her... He needed her.
"Higgs?"
Higgs turned and was disappointed to see his father.
"Father..." he said, finally getting up from the ground. "How did you know I was out here?"
"I met Boston at the house... What are you doing out here?"
"I'm looking for Merida, obviously." He snapped, brushing the dirt from his pants.
Jamison tried to figure out a way to ask his son delicately about the maid but he found that it was hard not to throw the Scot under the carriage.
"Son, don't you think it's time you realized that maybe... maybe she ran off?"
"No!" he yelled, glaring at his father. "Merida promised me that she would never leave no matter what!"
"There are others who have made the same promises, Higgs."
"They were not as sincere as the one Merida did. There's something wrong... There has to be..."
He collapsed to the ground and Jamison walked over to him, squatting beside him.
"Higgs, you're exhausted and I'm sure you haven't eaten. What month is this for you?"
"Ogre."
"Then you're definitely weak if you haven't eaten. Let's go back up to the house-"
"I have to find Merida!" he yelled, moving his arm away from Jamison's reach. "Please... please, I have to find her..."
"Well you can't very well bloody find her if you can't even stand, now can you?" Higgs didn't say anything and Jamison grabbed a hold of his arm, pulling him up. "Come on. We will look for Ms. Dunbrough once you've eaten and rested. When was the last time you slept?"
"I don't know or care..." he mumbled.
Jamison rolled his eyes and took Higgs back up to the manor.
Jamison came back downstairs and went into the kitchen, where Boston looked like he was trying to mix something together.
"I'm not exactly good at this kitchen thing... I believe I made tea. I wouldn't be surprised if it was as strong as an ox." Boston said sheepishly, bringing the brew to the small table in the kitchen.
Jamison nodded a little and sat down as Boston put the pot on the table. Jamison began to pour and had to feel sorry for the lad because it looked as black as night. He'd drink it... with effort.
"Did you get him to go to sleep?"
"I slipped a sleeping draught in his drink, so yes."
"He's been distraught beyond what I've seen him. I mean, I know the way he acted when he was stabbed and the paranoia he had but this is different. This is just... sad... Lord Northumberly, we have to find Merida. I don't want to believe that she left him on purpose."
"Do you think she didn't? What could possibly explain her disappearance?"
"Well, Lord Clarvins was very upset with the fact that the judge only sentenced her to one day in prison while he was 'disfigured and humiliated in front of millions of people'... or, well, those were his words; but I heard them firsthand when I was at the tavern. He's painting Ms. Dunbrough to be quite the savage Highlander of old."
"In all honesty, can you blame the man? The woman is like a wild tiger half the time."
Boston chuckled. "That's true... the point being, though, is that Lord Clarvins was not happy with what was given to her for her punishment. He wanted to kill her then... what's to say that he wouldn't try to kill her now?"
Jamison made a face but he saw how Boston's theory was starting to unfold. If Patrick was so angry about what had happened during the mini-trial in the cell, his pride and vanity would probably drive him to go farther.
"Do you really think he'd stoop down to that level and kidnap the girl?"
"He stabbed your son with no real motive but speculation in front of the most of the gentry." Boston reminded him.
Jamison nodded. "Are you going to stay here?"
"I figured it would be the best... considering I'm coming to grips with this whole curse thing." He said with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, I thought leaving him alone would do greater harm than good."
"Good, I'm glad you're thinking the same way I am. I'm going to send a couple of my servants up here so that Higgs can have a proper meal and proper tea time." Boston blushed. "Sorry, lad, but you're no cook. Anyway, usually he'd just go down to Margaret's but even that will probably be a hassle for him."
Boston nodded and they talked a little more about the potential whereabouts for Merida and then Jamison left.
As he walked down the hill he looked up at the sky, staring at the moon. He wondered where in the world she could have gone and wondered if she realized the value Higgs placed upon her. He was going to go back home but he decided to stay at his wife's home instead. This was the first time in a while that he had seen Margaret and Fuschia so much over a period of time. He sincerely hoped Merida hadn't left because she seemed to have gotten him closer to his family more than he had ever been before.
Merida was never happy about being captured. She had been captured more than once in her lifetime and it always made her angry when it happened. Not necessarily because it happened, but because it put an inconvenience on her brothers and herself. She had things to do and it didn't include being succumb to someone's need for power over her. Plus, she couldn't do anything in her current predicament anyway since she was tied up in a pretty elaborate way. No matter what she did, she couldn't escape the knots. She knew that Higgs was probably so worried about her and was probably going to break down soon enough. She loved the kid but she really needed to get a move on on teaching him to harness his misfortune into something that made him stronger. He was such a childish... well, kid. He wasn't that much younger than her but his isolation and fear of people finding out his secret had caused him to deal with things in a way that a young man of his age shouldn't be cowering over. She had learned the hard way how to keep her chin up but she would make sure to make her employer a strong man. Not necessarily like her brothers, for they were hardened way too much, but maybe like Jamison. Higgs' father seemed to be able to balance his misfortune quite well...
The door opened and Merida tried to turn over but it was almost impossible in the binds she was in.
"I brought your supper for the night, ma'am." A young voice said.
She waited as the young boy walked around to where she was facing and set the small bowl in front of her.
"It's porridge again."
Merida moved to look in the bowl and made a face.
"An that's porridge then I'm the king of this bloody rock. Who made it?"
"That would be Lord Clarvins." The boy said with a look of dismay at the porridge as well. "He's not a very good cook."
"Noblemen usually arenae. I cannae eat that even if I did have my hands to use. Looks like it turned into rock already."
The boy tried to move the spoon but she was right, it had hardened already.
"I'll see if he can get you something else."
"Dinnae worry over it, laddie. I've been without food afore so it's not that big of a deal."
The little boy looked a little confused over the proclamation and Merida sighed.
"An yer that desperate for me to eat, ask the lord to give ye something and bring me the leftovers. I'm not afeart of some table scraps."
"But you should eat, ma'am!" he said, closing his eyes and holding the bowl of hardened porridge to his chest. "Big people have to eat to stay healthy."
Merida turned her head at the young boy. He was barely ten summers, if that. He looked like he was hired off the streets and used as a messenger and errand boy. She wondered if Patrick was even paying the lad or if he was just threatening him with some sort of nonsense noblemen could throw out and make sound so threatening.
"Lads have to eat to stay healthy too. More so than us big people. How old are ye?"
"I'm ten."
"Is Laird Clarvins paying you anything for doing this? Or is he threatening you?"
The kid turned his head. "He's just letting me have a warm bed and some food."
"Where do ye stay?"
"Here mostly but it's better than being out in the cold..."
"Does he let ye run around free or are ye supposed to stay here?"
"I guess I could leave if I wanted to... Why do you ask?"
Merida moved her head to motion for him to come closer to her. He got on his knees and set the hardened porridge down beside him.
"If ye can get a message to my employer to let him know that I havenae abandoned him, I can give ye a whole house to live in and a bit of spending money during that time. All ye would have to do while ye lived there is help me with some chores every now and then and help me with my employer. He's a sweet lad, a little older than ye, but he's not got a friend save one. I worry about him..."
"Is that the man who hurt Lord Clarvins?"
Merida chuckled. "He dinnae do anything to Laird Clarvins. I did that to him."
The boy's eyes widened and he seemed to relax, crossing his legs.
"You did that? Wow, that's amazing! Why, though? You've made him awful angry."
"I'll tell ye what, if ye can get me something better to eat, I'll tell ye about my employer. He's not like anyone else ye've ever met. I'll tell ye why I'm here and what that bloody numbskull is trying to do. Ye like stories, yah?"
The boy nodded. "I do."
"Then if ye can get me better food, I'll tell them to ye."
"I got a better plan." Merida lifted an eyebrow. "I'm from the streets, ma'am." She made a noise indicating she understood. "You said you'd let me stay with you? Are you really going to let me if I help you?"
"I dinnae make promises I dinnae intend to keep... which is why I need to let my employer know that I havenae left him by himself. He probably kens I've abandoned him like all the others..."
"Do you swear?" the boy asked, bowing down to look her in the eyes. "Pinky swear?"
"An I had my pinky to give to ye I'd pinky swear it."
The boy got up and went behind her where her hands were. She felt his pinky near hers and they gripped theirs together.
"There, pinky swear commenced. Now, are ye going to help me or not?"
"Of course."
"Aye, what's yer name, lad?"
"I don't got a name right now. The lord is just calling me Boy and you're calling me Lad. Most other people call me Boy too, but I know that's not a real name."
"I'll find one for ye... Edgar."
"Edgar?" The boy walked back to look at her face. "That's an old man's name."
"It's a fine English name for a fine English lad."
"Where are you from? Your voice is different."
"I'm from Scotland."
"Why don't you name me a Scottish name?"
"Oi, ye're procrastinating."
"What does that mean?"
"It means there are things ye need to be doing and ye arenae doing them. Now, food that willnae preserve me from the inside would be nice."
Edgar sighed and got up, walking out of the building. Merida knew that Higgs might be mad at her for promising his home to a child that she met working for Patrick, but the boy didn't seem to be actually 'working' for Patrick and he was ready to accept something better than whatever was being done here. Right now she just needed to get message to Higgs that she wasn't abandoning him and she would be coming home soon. When that will be is starting to become a bit of a challenge... she thought as she looked at the hole in the wall of the door to wherever she was in. Dinnae give up on me, Mr. Higgs. I havenae left ye...