The carriage ride up to the mansion was pleasant enough. The women spoke discursively and Merida was thankful that she didn't have to walk for at least a little bit. Her legs were throbbing from exhaustion and pain, made even worse by the fact that they were at rest. Elizabeth asked questions regarding the Northumberly transformations and Catherine and Merida answered as best and as vaguely as they could. When Catherine started getting a little too detailed about something Merida gave her a look and she knew what she wanted. Merida wasn't jealous (at least that's what she was telling herself) but she didn't trust Elizabeth. Her gut feeling was telling her that something was off and until she could identify it, anything other than what Higgs himself revealed was not privy to her. It was Higgs' curse, he should be the one to explain the details.

Luckily, they were able to make it to the mansion in record time, just in time to meet up with the ice delivery man. Merida directed him where to put the second block of ice and Catherine and Gretchen carried in the other in a metal basin inside. Once he was gone, Merida walked in and looked at the large chunk of ice.

"Cat, will ye help me draw some water to start filling up the baths and I can start to work on chipping this ice up. EDGAR!!!" she screamed up the stairwell.

"What can I do?" Elizabeth asked, looking determined.

"My lady!" Gretchen said with a look of surprise at her.

"Oh hush, Gretchen, and pitch in." Gretchen made a face as she turned to Merida. "What can I do to help?"

"I guess ye could start helping Marlow chip at the ice-"

"And risk her sliding off the chisel and cutting her hand? I'll help your maid chop the ice. Give my lady something more dignified." Gretchen growled, starting to unbutton her dress.

"What are ye doing?" Merida asked.

"You expect me to get my good clothes messed up by all this? I'm getting down to the chemise."

"No one wants to see yer ass, Gretchen. An ye are such a nance, then I can get ye some dresses to work in."

"That will be fine. Are you alright with that, Lady Hinkley?"

"It would probably be best if I did change clothing. This is one of my best dresses and I would hate to ruin it." Elizabeth said, looking down at her dress.

"Weel, then give me a moment and I'll find ye something. They're all Gretchen's old rags anyhow; they fit nicely to do housework in."

Catherine rolled her eyes over to Merida as she did the same to her and she turned, heading up the stairs just as Edgar came to the top of them.

"You called for me? Sorry it took so long..."

Upon seeing him, Catherine put her hands over her mouth. "Oh, ya poor laddie..."

"Oh..." Merida said, seeing the pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry, lad, I didnae realize ye were in so much pain. Ye dinnae worry about it. Ye get on back to yer room now. Be a bleetin shame to make ye go down those steps."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. An I had kenned ye was in so much pain, I wouldnae e'en yelled for ye. Ye go back now... I'll make ye a bath a weel. Where is Laird Kans?'

"He's still in that room you put him in before. I checked on Mr. Higgs but I don't think he can get out of bed."

"Thank ye. I'll be checking on him soon as weel. Ye go on back now."

Edgar nodded, waddling back to his room as Catherine watched with a pitiful look.

"Poor lad. Ya best make him somethin' he likes later on or get him some sweeties."

"Aye, that I will. An ye please, I'll get the dresses and ye start hauling some of the water? We dinnae want the others to start getting lazy now."

Catherine smiled as she descended the stairs back to the ladies and Merida went to Higgs' room.

Merida went to Higgs' room and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She opened the door and found Higgs laying in the bed looking at the ceiling. Hearing the door opening, he looked over.

"What we ye doing?" she asked.

"Trying to move. Been trying to take a piss of the past thirty minutes."

Merida chuckled. "Hurt ye bad, did he?"

"How are you still moving?"

"My arms are muckle sore and they feel like boulders, but I've got a job to do, and I have to get ye up to do yers."

"Mmm... well, help me up then."

She walked over to him and pulled his arm up, helping him sit up in the bed. He yelled out in pain and then hissed at her.

"Ow! Ow! My hair!"

"Hold on then..." She pulled him to her and grabbed his hair to gently tug his hair from under his bottom. "As lovely as yer hair is as the kitsune, it has its drawbacks. I kind of like it when it starts to grow out though, right at the start of it."

"You like me when I'm wild looking." He said with a smile.

"Ye look like a proper wild man. Ye dinnae look much different when ye got yer beard as a werewolf but I kind of enjoy ye attitude."

"Why's that?" he asked bruskly in her ear, which made Merida blush as she pushed him back onto his pillow.

"I just do."

"Merida-"

"Lady Hinkley is here."

"Huh?"

"I met with her while I was getting ice for yer bath."

"Ice? Bath? Wait, what's going on? I'm very confused."

"Yer beat to hell and back. Ye need to soak in cold water to ease ye muscles and get the tension out, then we'll follow up with a hot bath to bathe ye and soothe ye bones. As I was down in town to get the ice, Lady Hinkley rode up with Gretchen and volunteered to help out."

"Y-You mean she's here? As in in the mansion?"

"Aye. She's going to help us break ice."

"Um..."

"Here's yer chance to impress her, Mr. Higgs, and this is her chance to prove herself. Ye be good and dinnae ye get cheeky."

"A-alright... um... could you help me with the chamber pot?"

"Oh, sorry..."

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

After hours of toting buckets of water, moving water basins, chipping ice, and getting ready to heat up the tubs later, it was finally time to put the three men into their tubs to soak away their pains. Catherine and Merida helped Kans into his tube as Elizabeth filled the bath with ice. Kans hissed in pain and from the cold, but settled nicely into the tub. They said they would be back as they moved on to Edgar and did the same thing. Higgs was the worst one on to get into the tub because he was so beaten up. They actually had to have all five women help him, including Gretchen and Marlow. They technically had to carry him to the tub. Once everyone was tubbed, the three women split up. Catherine stayed with her fiancé as Merida sighed, pointing to Higgs' room.

"Mr. Higgs is in there. I'll tend to Edgar."

"Oh... alright."

"Keep it innocent now." Merida said with a wink.

Elizabeth blushed hard as Merida watched her going to Higgs' room. When she was gone, Merida stopped smiling and went to Edgar's room. When she was gone, Merida stopped smiling and went to Edgar's room. She knocked on the door and Edgar looked over at her.

"Was I supposed to just sit here?"

"Aye, let ye body rest."

"How can it rest when I'm shivering cold? Shouldnae it have been a warm bath?"

"Ye get that afterward. Do ye feel better?"

"Actually, I do... Why are you here though? Mr. Higgs is worse off than me by far."

"He has someone else to look after him."

"Oh... the lady..."

"Aye."

"Forgive me for being bold but I think you gave up too fast."

"I do what I have to, Edgar. Cannae change it how I like but I can try to be as supportive as I can. Ye hush now about it all. Time is fickle beast; we will see what it brings to us."

Edgar leaned back on Merida and sighed. "I'd give anything to fix what I've done. Does Uncle Kans have a time manipulation creature?"

"No, lovey, he doesnae. Too tempting to do other things to fix the past."

"I guess."

"<i>Cùm a 'gluasad air adhart</i>, laddie."

"What does that mean?'

"Keep moving forward."

"Oh."

"Best remember it. Let's start to washing ye up."

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

Higgs felt like he could finally move his limbs and pulled his arms out of the water, putting them on the sides of the tub. He leaned his head back, his hair getting into the ice cold water. He'd have to get Merida to help braid his hair. The door opened and Higgs smiled, not turning around.

"Hey, could you braid my hair and pull it out of the wash basin? I don't really want my hair soaking wet."

"Of course, my lord."

Higgs turned around abruptly and was surprised to find Elizabeth standing there.

"L-Lady Hinkley! What are you doing here?" he gasped, dipping more into the water and looking over the edge of the tub. "You are aware I'm naked?!"

"I would hope you weren't still clothed..."

"Well you all helped me in while I was clothed so..."

"Would you like me to braid your hair? I'm quite good at it, so I'm told. One of the few mundane things... Your hair is now all wet though."

"Oh... um..."

"I'm not here to help you bathe, if that's what you're afraid of."

"Oh, um... alright then. Let me get it out the water." He turned around in the tub and moved his hair. "Sorry."

"I came uninvited, not the other way around." Elizabeth sat at the head of the tub. "I wanted to talk with you about... about a possible courtship."

"Is that so?" Higgs said, squeezing his hair and moving it out of the tub.

Elizabeth began to braid his hair. "Yes. I haven't courted anyone since Lord Clarvins and after the thing with you, he has stopped writing from his summer home. The last letter I got from him said that he was calling off our engagement. I tried to catch you at parties but I can understand your lack of attendance to them... There." She said, finishing the braid.

Higgs moved his hand to feel the braid and smiled. "Thank you... and yes, I had an aversion to parties for a while, but mostly because they were in months that I would turn fully. The creatures are at random and hardly ever the same pattern twice."

"I see... does it hurt?"

"Well fighting Uncle Kans was new but-"

"No," Elizabeth came around the tub to look at him. "When you turn, does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. Depends on what it is. Some of the full transformations hurt when they first happen but other than that, I don't have a problem. I mean, it's something I've had to live with since I was young."

"That's a relief... So um... about that courtship?"

"If you're willing to put up with me, then yes, I would gladly love to court you."

"I'm so happy you said that."

Elizabeth leaned in to kiss him but he stopped her with his hand on her lips. She blinked and he looked away from her in shame.

"I should tell you that I can't kiss you yet. It's part of the curse, unfortunately. I mean... at least not yet."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Um... I'm actually not sure what I need to do but I will come around again tomorrow if that's alright? Maybe you'll be in a better position to have a talk."

"Right. Of course. I look forward to it."

She leaned over again but moved to kiss him on the forehead.

"Although not the best, that's a preview of what hopefully is to come."

Elizabeth got up and left. Higgs slid down into the water, his face blushing uncontrollably.

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

Merida was leaving Edgar's room when she found Elizabeth coming from Higgs' room.

"Leaving already?"

"There's not much more for me to do. I'm actually not really sure what to do."

"Ah, yeah. There's not much to do now. Thank ye for letting us ride in yer carriage and preparing the ice baths. Ye were a big help to us."

"Thank you. I've never felt so important."

"Doing something for others helps ye feel that way. Ye had better get going though. I ken Gretchen will die of boredom an she stays here for much longer." Elizabeth giggled. "Are ye coming back soon?"

"Tomorrow, if I can. Is that alright?"

"An Mr. Higgs says so, then what's it to me?"

"Well, you are his closest friend and I understand things may be quite different..."

"I go with the flow, milady. I'm also just a maid in the house, least that's what I was hired for. I have no authority over the workings of the house."

"I see... well... I'm supposed to come tomorrow so..."

"I'll expect ye."

Elizabeth gave a curtsy and descended down the stairs. Merida walked to the landing and watched her get Gretchen and leave. Merida made a face but turned to go to her employer. Yer just jealous, Merida. Stop acting like something is amiss. Be happy for Mr. Higgs... he needs this...

++++++++++++++++

oh merida... it's okay to be jealous. don't hurt no one now.