September finally came to a close and October revealed a new month. As if on cue, it also revealed the... fruits of Merida's labors.

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

Merida sat at the table in the kitchen and leaned on her knees, dog tired. Marlow looked at her.

"You alright?"

"I feel like I'm dragging lead. Everrathing I do is so daunting."

"What did you do?"

"I washed clothes and hung them out to dry, dusted, cleaned out some rooms."

"You usually do more than that by noon. It's already five o'clock."

"Five? Really? Blimey, I have been slow."

"Maybe you should rest up. You could be coming down with something."

"Aye, maybe... what's for dinner?"

"Shepherd's pie."

"Ugh, would ye mind making some broth out of it?"

"I've got some bones I can make a lamb broth for you..."

Please... thank you... What about haggis?"

"Sorry, I'm not a haggis maker. You'd be the one to make that."

"Just because I'm Scottish?"

"Precisely. I don't think you want me to try."

"Weel, even though I like it, process is disgusting. I like the end result..." She stood up. "I guess I'll go and wash up..."

She headed upstairs, passing Edgar along the way.

"Edgar, have you seen Mr. Higgs?"

"He was going over some paperwork in the study last I saw... um... Merida?"

"Yes?"

"What exactly does Mr. Higgs do?"

"Do?"

"Doesn't he have a job? He's always doing paper work and I thought that meant jobs."

"Ye know... I've been here for four years and I have never asked about that. Considering he is a laird of some sort... I'll have to ask him."

"I would tread lightly. He's in a mood."

Merida nodded and went to the study. She knock on the door and opened it as Higgs looked up.

"What?"

"I just wanted to let ye know that I willnae be eating with ye this eve."

"I may not be eating with anyone either. Seems I am the werewolf this month."

"Oh."

"Are you alright?" he asked, sniffing the air around her.

"Tired beyond usual."

"If you kiss me then I can stay with you to make you feel better." He said, giving her a sultry look.

She rolled her eyes. "Oi, ye are cheeky. I ken ye'd need a bit of passion to make it worthwhile, not lustful animal instinct."

"Passion, lustful animal instinct; seems pretty much the same from where I'm at." Merida lifted an eyebrow. "Besides, I think kissing you in any way is considered worthwhile."

"I'm quite tired, so not tonight. Besides, we have plenty of time to break all of the curses, Higgs."

"That's easy for you to say. You haven't lived with them for two decades."

"Aye, that be true." Merida looked out the window. "It's getting about dark. Will ye be alright or do I need to keep ye bound up?"

"I think I'll be alright. We only had to tie me up once and that we because Father was a werewolf too."

"Before ye go bounding about, Edgar brought up a verra interesting subject: what exactly do ye do?"

"Do?"

"Aye." She said, motioning to the papers.

"Oh... well, I mean, I am a baron so..."

"What?"

"My official title is Baron of Suthernwood." Merida blinked in confusion. "That's this land we live on... the manor?"

"Didnae even cross my mind to ken about ancestral lands and such. So shouldnae we call ye Baron Northumberly then?"

"Not really. The conversational title doesn't really matter considering our family are considered pariahs of the ton. So, who would really care what our actual titles would be? Ye ken?"

"Aye, I ken ye."

"How could you have lived here for four years and not known that? I honestly thought you knew everything about me."

"I dinnae care what ye are. Baron, duke, breadmaker; ye're just Higgs to me."

"I find that humbling, flattering, and insulting all at the same time."

"I'm not one to half ass. I best tell Marlow to save the pie so ye can eat it when ye get in then."

"Pie?"

"Shepherd's pie."

"Ah. Yeah, tell her I'm sorry." Merida nodded and turned to leave. "Merida?" She turned back. "Are you feeling well? You mentioned not eating with everyone tonight..."

"I'm tired and feel like I've got lead in my feet."

"Don't hurt yourself by overdoing things."

"I willnae. Same to ye for tonight. Ye be careful and try not to get mixed up with that Castel fellow. I've heard he's been out and about again."

"Aye, aye, sir." He said, giving her a salute.

She winked and left as Higgs finished the last of his paperwork.

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

Higgs was running through the forest (as was his usual during the werewolf) when he came through some trees he didn't remember marking. In fact, this section of the forest was quite foreign to him. A smell suddenly attracted him and he ran deeper into the forest. Suddenly, he felt something pierce his side and he yelped, falling over. He shook off the pain and stood back up when a net entangled around him, lifting him up, and he started snarling as he tried to get free.

"Sounds like you caught something."

"See, Gretchen, all is for naught."

"This is a dumb sport, milady."

A few minute later, Gretchen and Elizabeth came through the trees and looked up at their catch.

"What kind of animal is that?" Gretchen said.

"Not a deer..." Elizabeth said, looking up and walking around to see if she could identify it. "I've never seen anything else with a coat that color."

Gretchen squinted in the dim light of the rising sun and thought she knew what she was seeing.

"Could you cut down, milady? I think I know what this is."

"If I cut it down, it'll run away."

"I'm quite certain it won't. I know I'm not a hunter like you but I just have a pretty good feeling."

Elizabeth made a face but she lifted her skirt up and pulled out the hunting knife from it's sheath on her thigh, cutting the trap's rope. The creature fell and wriggled out of the net, then just laid there. Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"Is that... is that a wolf?"

"A werewolf to be precise."

As the sun rose behind him, the werewolf in front of them began to slowly shrink, the hair going away. The sound of cracking bones pierced through the dawn, but the two women were silently watching in shock. As the sun finally sent a ray of light over the horizon, the transformation completed and Elizabeth's eyes widened even more.

"Mr. Higgs?"

"Higgs looked over his shoulder at her and sat up slowly, hissing as he moved his other arm, where blood was trickling from a wound in his shoulder.

"Morning ladies... Would you mind showing me the way to get back to my house?"