To Love A Myth: Book 3 - Mr. Higgs and the Clan🎩

22

Everyone walked back to Fearghas' house, meeting Coinneach on his way back from his own duties. They made small talk and he found out what Edgar did to Ruaraidh and laughed so hard he had to stop walking.

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"Are ye being serious with me? Ye actually punched that buggar right in the face?" Coinneach said, practically wheezing.

"Aye, had a clean hand and hit true." Merida said, smiling at her son.

"You said you didn't like me doing it..."

"I donnae, but an ye're going to slug someone at least let it be an asshole and let it be right."

"Sounds a lot like what we taught ye when we had to leave ye behind." Fearghas said, looking over his shoulder.

Merida thought for a moment. "Hmm, it does sound like what ye taught me."

"What did you teach her?" Edgar asked excitedly.

"There were times when she was a wee one that we couldnae bring her with us due to a scout seeing an approaching clan of hostility. So we would have to leave her with any village we could find or sometimes even hide her in trees and things to keep her safe. But we arenae faefolk; we cannae see everrathing around us all at once and so we had to teach Merida how to fight properly to get distance between her and an assailant. Doughall used to tell us all during a battle briefing, 'ye strike hard and strike true but ye damn well better strike the right person and strike the right way'."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"Do what ye can not to get into a close hand to hand combat, but an ye do end up in that situation, ye had better be prepared to use yer fists or run away. An ye did have to fight someone, ye need to ken what ye're doing and how ye're doing it. An ye just throw out a hit and hope it lands, weel... it could... but it also couldnae. Best to have a plan of action that is flexible in case the situation doesnae fit at 100%. Give yerself a way to proceed without getting into too much of an inconvenient situation. So, strike hard and strike true but strike the right person in the right way."

"Oh... that makes sense..." Edgar said, looking very pensive and seeming to take it all in.

Coinneach smirked at his brother as Fearghas smiled back at him. They hadn't had someone so invested in their stories or the values that they had created during that tumultuous time around in so long that having a fresh set of ears and determination was refreshing to them. Merida smiled, knowing her brothers were enjoying Edgar's attention as she tried to keep her mind off of what was going to come. That, and she couldn't help but wonder how Doughall would take all this adoration. He wasn't very much for taking compliments and definitely wasn't good at complete innocence in that respect. He'd think Edgar had some hidden agenda...

"So yer beau finally woke up, eh? From what I saw of him, he was muckle out of it. I wonder if he'll talk about the bees again..." Coinneach said as they started walking again.

"I told ye, Ken, he was delirious."

"I'm not an idiot, Fearghas; I ken when a man isnae right in his head." He growled. "Just because ye are a doctor doesnae mean I havenae seen things too." Fearghas just rolled his eyes. "It was just verra entertaining to talk with him about it. Quite a riot."

"Aye, he does make up the silliest things. While we were on our way here he said he saw squirrels in my hair and wondered how they were able to make my hair curly."

"Love a man on medical craziness." Coinneach said, putting his hands behind his head. "Always tells the truth and makes up the most marvelous stories with the innocence of a child at that. Remember when Doughall was going on and on about that goblin that kept coming into his tent and shaking him?"