Merida went up ahead and led the three young lords to the mysteriously located cottage. The lads awed at how vastly beautiful the inside of the cave looked like, and with a house inside just made it look peculiar.

They walked on a small pebble-stone path flooded with a large pool of water. Merida was the first to step on the stone pad, then Macintosh then MacGuffin and Dingwall, who almost slipped. Soon enough they were trailing the short path to the small cottage.

As they arrived Merida walked in front of the small dusty wooden door and knocked gently. The young lads behind her, eyeing on the door waiting anxiously to meet this person the princess was so dependent on their help.

But nobody answered.

Merida waited a moment and looked concerned, knocking again but with more force,

Still nobody answered.

Merida grunted in frustration, 'This just had to be the witches' cottage! It has to be!' she thought to herself

She knocked again and again practically banging on the old cottage door until,

"WHAT!" came yelling a rather hoarse voice

The three lords backed up, a bit intimidated by harsh tone, they figured this person wasn't in a pleasant mood. Suddenly a small old hag came came into view, she stood half their size and looked up at them with one wide eye

"Can't a lady get some beauty sleep around here?" she said jadedly while fixing her matted hair in place and wiped the sleep off her eye

"I don't think ya got enough sleep then" Macintosh wittingly replied,

The old woman sharply eyed the young lad with the blue tattoo on his arm, "Watch it boy." She startled him with the look she gave him with her wide eye, Macintosh winced at the woman

"Oh thank goodness!" Merida sighed in relief, "I was afraid you wouldn't answer. Listen, I 'ave a big favor to ask of yo-"

"Ah! I remember you!" said the old witch, "Your that red hair lass, uh, princess right? Wanted to change your mother and all" while placing a finger on her hairy chin

"Uh...y-yes that's me!" Merida said trying to force up a smile, embarrassed at the memory but she learned well from it

"Lovely to have been able to see you again deary," she smiled a toothless grin, "Well back to my nap...!" she turned her hunched back toward the group about to close the door until Merida stopped it wither her palm

"What? Wha-wa-wait wait! I have something to ask of you!" Merida pleaded

"Oh, come now lassie, how bad could yer years be now?" the old hag complained, "I'm afraid I won't use any more of my spells to-"

"It's not about me anymore, I swear! A bloody madman kidnapped my mother! And I need your help!" Merida was desperate now, if the witch didn't use her magic to aid her she didn't know what she would do to help her mom now

"Please! Please, you have got to help me get my mother back! Please..." Merida pleaded, "I'll do anything!" her eyes began to stung holding back a sniffle

The witch stayed silent, looking at the teary lass. The boys began to feel uneasy again, they honestly detested seeing Merida break down like this, it almost made MacGuffin want to embrace the poor girl, but restrained himself.

The old witch gave thought to the princess' plea and decided to hear her out,

"Why don't you come inside dear" she offered opening the door fully, "And you may bring your companions in too if they wish" and went on inside the shady lit house lited by variety of candle wicks in every corner

Merida dried out her almost wet eyes and entered the cottage with the young lords not too far behind her, ducking their heads to get in. The four had thought it would've been a tight squeeze to fit inside, what with the compactness of the little cottage they all expected to be fighting for space and all, but to their pleasant surprise it was much bigger inside than it was out.

"Would any of you dears like some tea? I was just brewing some" her boney frail fingers carefully grabbed the boiling pot and poured it into four individual cups and served them

"Make yourselves at home and if you see anything you'd like to buy, don't hesitate to ask" she chortled cunningly, she might be a wood carving old witch but money was what the world go around

Dingwall was the first to look around the not-so-small cottage's vast stocks of different sorts of contraptions, glass filled bottles and wood carvings of different animals and such.

While Merida and the old witch took a seat in a wooden table set, Macintosh sat cozily on a timber stool next to Merida and MacGuffin decided to stay standing up near them

"Now my dear," placing a consoling hand on top of Merida's palm that lay on the table, "What is it you've come so far to see me for, hmm?" she asked the young princess gently

Merida set down her cup of hot tea and began to fully explain about what had happened at her castle along with her people turning to stone, about Ambrose and how he became a dragon and kidnapped her mother taking her away far up on the mountains as well as traveling to the forest and found this cave as they were hiding away from a troll

Macintosh and MacGuffin listened in on the reoccurrences of the story, with Dingwall still eyeing the objects not paying much mind to Merida's story, since he was there himself.

"Ah yes. The deep forest has been infested with monsters and wild beasts for about a few months now, that's why I rebuilt my lovely cottage right here. Those devil beasts kept on gobbling me brew!" the old lady explained taking a sip of her hot tea and gave a low sigh and turned her silly gestures into a stern expression

"...and Ambrose" she said having a quiet moment of pensive thinking to herself and looked back up to meet the trio's eyes, "…he is my great grandson" she said solemnly

Merida's eyes widened, "What?"

The witch simply nodded, "Twice removed actually" she added

Macintosh and MacGuffin looked at each other with shocked expressions too

"Bu-but how?" Merida questioned her

"Ah yes, Crayton, he was one of the best alchemist I've ever taught. Loved him almost like my own son really, but ever since the day he was chosen to compete for the fair maiden's hand all those years ago, he used his talents to sinful wrongdoing tasks" she looked down at her cup and saw her heartrending reflection in the tea, remembering her times with her great grandson

Merida stared at her in disbelieve– that devil of a man was associated to the wood carving witch, she shook away her thoughts and gently spoke to her

"Please, is there any way you can help us restore the clans of their hex and defeat Ambrose to save my mother?" Merida's eyes became hopeful as she waited for the old hag's answer

They stayed in eye contact for a few moments,

"Hmm, well can't say that I won't…" Merida's eyes glistened for a moment, "But! For a price!" the trio jumped at the suddenness and wondered what she meant by that,

"What is it you want?" Macintosh asked, "It's not like your bunion cream is out of stock" the old witch just glared at the boy and continued to speak,

"I'll require a couple ingredients for a customer of mine. But I haven't gotten a chance to roam in the forests, no thanks to those beasts!" the witch scowled

"I'll need an ounce of blood from those ghastly black imps I always see in the forest, and a dark lock of rich hair. In exchange, I'll aid you in defeating Ambrose"

"What'cha need them creepy supplies for, old bat?" Macintosh asked nosily, the witch looked gallingly at him. She seemed to grow tired of Macintosh's constant smart-alecky comments

"Mind yer peepers an' matters lad or I just might have to zip those puckers of yours" the eccentric old woman warned but Macintosh was not the least bit intimidated but the little old witch, and crossed his arms complacently

But in Merida's case she was entirely determined to risk anything to save her mother. Even if she had to hunt down a wild beast or go face to face with that giant troll, she'll do it!

Before Merida agreed to set out to find whatever it is the witch requested until MacGuffin cleared his throat and stood closer to the table, bringing back Merida's attention

MacGuffin then unsheathed a blade that he held in his leather pouch around his lower waist. Merida and Macintosh eyed what he was doing and to their surprise when he unsheathed his dagger it was stained of a black tar, oily substance.

Merida gasped, "That's the blood of those devils!" she happily looked up at MacGuffin who had a small smile on his face, brows narrowed and nodded to her

"That's true! We fought them demons before we came to the cave!" Macintosh added, "Way to save time lad!" patting on MacGuffin's arm

MacGuffin handed the knife to the old witch grabbing it from the handle and inspected the steel carefully as she placed two finger tips, brought it near her nose to smell it and savored it with her tongue

The trio winced in disgust at this

She smacked her lips and grinned, "Yep! That's the stuff alright!" she sniggered, "Now all I need are some luscious dark locks…" she then turned her head to the young lad with the blue tattoos painted on his right lean arm.

Merida and MacGuffin then turned their attention toward Macintosh who was still sitting on the small stool, brows raised and his lips puckered

"What are ya all lookin' at me like that for?" he started shifting his position uncomfortably

"Out of all of us Macintosh," Merida stated, "you are the only one with dark hair"

"And it is quite luscious!" the witch included, her eye wide at him

"Ohhh no. You're not be cutting off me mane!" Macintosh was about to make a run for it until MacGuffin's large exterior stood in front of him, blocking his chance of escape and hooked his large arms under Macintosh's and held him firmly so the witch can take a sample of his 'fair hair'

"Macintosh, man up! Ya have enough hair to offer one more head! This is for a great cause. Don't ya want to save me mum and all our clans?" Merida said trying to ease the now stirred lad

"I would rather face a fleet of those devil imps singlehandedly than have that-that witch cut me tresses! Anything but me curls!" Macintosh continued to squirm and whine but MacGuffin stood his ground firmly not to let loose of him

"Oh shush up boy!" as she grabbed a pair of scissors and started snipping it to scare the poor young man

"No! No! Let go! Don't you dare come anywhere near me ya old hag!" he yelled

"What'dja say!" she shouted irritably, "Why, I have had just about enough of that mouth of yours ye crybaby!" and with a quick snap of the old witch woman's boney fingers Macintosh's voice was silenced

His mouth was still open as if he was still yelling, but no sound came out. Not even a squeak or a whisper let out.

Merida and MacGuffin were shocked and became rather intimidated, truly they underestimated her ability, and noted to themselves not to offend the witch.

"Ahh, now, that is much better" she cunningly grinned, she grabbed a handful of his hair and quickly chopped the loose ends of his tresses with a swift move of her scissors

"Mmm, yes this should do the trick" and left to attend her now boiling brew hanging on the other side of the room where Dingwall was at.

MacGuffin then let loose of Macintosh who collapsed on the floor with a thud in distress

"Uh...are ya goin' to keep him like that?" Merida hesitantly asked the witch, pointing at the silent Macintosh

"Oh the lad will be just fine. Just a simple 'silent spell' I put on 'im. He should be able to talk within a day or two"

Dingwall saw the whole thing, and started to hem in a snicker but couldn't contain it and laughed hysterically, pointing and mocking at Macintosh whose eyes and mouth were spacious

Macintosh did not like the sound of that and started gesturing movements nobody could understand, or would even want to. Even waving his arms frantically trying to get his point across

"Uh, sorry lad," Merida said shrugging her shoulders, "I can't understand ya" and walked away toward the witch's brew

Macintosh gawked at the princess for ignoring his frantic gesture. Pouted and started weeping comically on MacGuffin's large abdomen, who awkwardly and slightly patted the lad's back

The old witch then began her concoction of the items given to her. Dingwall and Merida both looked into the boiling mixture of black goo that turned into a strange color of mucus green and 'poof' a puff of crimson smoke then erupted when the witch added a sprinkle of, well, whatever it is she added.

The two coughed up the smoke they accidently inhaled, with the witch finishing up her brew for her customer, "it's done!" she replied and stuffed the strange goo into a shaded bottle

"What is that for?" Merida asked coughing the last bit of smoke

"Oh this?" she held up the bottle, "It's for hair removal treatment. Poor lass" the witch said shaking her head and placed the bottle in a nearby casket

Dingwall and Merida looked at each other when she said the word 'lass' and shuddered to themselves.

"Now then my dear, on to more important business" she waddled to a grimy old bookcase shelf and fingered every large bottle of infuse and mystifying concoctions and grabbed a rather large book and placed it on the table

"Ah here we are" she turned to a page where there was a picture of a large dragon exhaling fire.

"It says here that when a wizard or witch possess' a great amount of magic, it is placed in an inanimate object that he or she chooses to place them in." she read

"Did Ambrose happen to wear a peculiar ruby necklace when ya saw him?" she asked looked up at Merida, narrowing her eyes trying to remember

"Yes. In fact he did…" she answered, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Ah well, it was a parting gift from me. I gave it to him for luck on his betrothal, I suppose now it didn't do much to help. I'm more than positive that his source of magic resides in that jeweled possession of his." The witch explained "Now pay close attention to what I'm about to say lass..."

Merida focus attentively, the young lords stood close behind her listening in

"If ye destroy that jewel of his, you will make him vulnerable and strip him of his alchemy and his magical supremacy. Destroy it and he will be nothing more than the cowardly, mortal man he's become..."

Merida was confused, that sounded way too easy to disperse of the evildoers' dominance

"Ay lass, but you must destroy the ruby with a specially enhanced weapon." The witch noted

Merida's face dropped

"Now don't look so glum, lassie. Don't think I'll just leave ya hanging by your thumbs" the old woman hooted heartily

She dug way in the back of the shelf and grabbed a rather lovely looking bottle; it was a violet translucent crystal bottle and softly placed it into Merida's palm

"Sprinkle this on a special weapon of yours, but only do so when the time is right. The spell will only last a few minutes. When added to a weapon it will give it immeasurable power, strong enough to pierce the heart of legend's fiercest beasts"

Merida awed at what the witch told her and gazed at the lovely adorned bottle and nodded to the witch and her advice

"Do you happen to know where Ambrose is keeping my mother?" Merida asked

The witch thought for a moment, she hadn't seen her great grandson for years,

"Hmm, if memory serves me right. He did send me a postcard, and I believe his location resides in the northern highland mountain area. Just west from this here cavern, just keep heading straight and there should be a bridge there that will lead you to him and your mother" she explained

Merida took a mental note of that, luckily she brought along a map that stayed with her stuff on Angus' saddle.

Just before anything, Dingwall then came up to the witch with a handful of potions and a small book,

"I'd like to purchase these things" he said eagerly holding up his items like a child holding up his favorite goods at a bakery

"OH! Darlin' of course ya can!" the witch clapped her hands, laughing happily, pinching Dingwall's plump cheek and counted the many items he held in his arms

"Dingwall!" Merida said giving him a look like a mother would scold her child, "Do ya even know what those bottles even contain?"

"Come now lass, if he can afford it, he can buy it!" she smiled cheekily, "That will be thirty gold coins ma' boy"

Dingwall then rummaged through his pouch and gave the witch a handful of gold coins without even counting,

"Will this amount do?" having an overfill amount of coins that some dropped to the floor with a clang

The witch gazed with greedy eyes, "Yes! Yes this will do just beautifully!" she gladly accepted stuffing away her newly wad of cash into a jar as a happy Dingwall eyed all his newly purchased items

Macintosh was still not satisfied and tries to speak, even yell, but no words came out still

"Serves ya right, ya meddlesome youngster" she glared at him and huffed away. The old witch then eyed the stout young man that graciously aided in requiring her needed ingredient and holding the crying lad

"Ah, and is there anything you wish to purchase too young lad?" she asked MacGuffin who straightened up his posture

He shook his head as his answer,

"Oh come now boy, speak! You have a mouth, so use it!" the witch stated irritably

He looked at everyone timidly as he hesitated to speak. MacGuffin never did like being in the spotlight of attention, it was his weakest point

Until finally spoke in a deep voice,

"I am affa sairy, but I dinna maik cantrips*" he spoke sincerely, for the first time during the trip. For the past six months MacGuffin had tried to practice his English accent but since Doric had been a first language to him he at times found it difficult to speak perfect English.

The witch looked at the young lad as if he had just grown two heads. Dingwall and Macintosh just stared at him, not understanding a word. However Merida sort of knew what he said – since her mother had been teaching her the various languages from Scotland by her constant lessons.

"Uh…I believe he said, that he's 'awfully sorry but he doesn't ...make …catnip?" Merida said loosely translating MacGuffin's words - of course Merida never liked paying attention to her studies, so naturally she wasn't very good at interpreting.

Poor MacGuffin lowered his head and shook it with flushed cheeks, as a sign to Merida that what she said was phrased wrong.

The witch rolled her eyes and went back to her hoarded mess and rummaged more through her stocks and finally found a miniature white transparent bottle,

"Drink this lad" she handed it to him

MacGuffin eyed the small item in his massive hand and hesitated. Even after what he just witnessed to what happened to Macintosh and the brew she made in her cauldron he never really believed or was interested in a silly thing as magic.

"Go on now, it won't kill ya!" the witch told him impatiently

MacGuffin then swallowed the liquid from the bottle. It had a very bitter aftertaste and he hiccupped loudly,

"Ah, pardon me" he said politely

MacGuffin's eyes went wide staring at the small bottle he just drank. Merida and the other young lords were just as surprised,

"MacGuffin! I can understand you!" Merida stated with a big grin on her face, "What did you give him?" she glanced back at the witch

"Oh just something to help the poor lad out with his thick accent" she gently said, "Take it as a thank you present for aiding me lad. I find you and the bucktooth lad more pleasant than that wee babe there" she noted Macintosh playfully and winked

Macintosh just glared ferociously at the old hag, crossing his arms pouting.

"Well my dearies, now that we've got this all settled in I wish you all nothing but good luck in defeating my great grandson!" The old witch stated and gathered everyone as she pushed them to the door's entrance,

"Now off you go now! Oh and thank you for shopping at the Crafty Carver! Have a lovely day!" she shoved all four out the door, exiting the cottage

Just before they had a chance to utter another word the four looked around and noticed they were back in the cave's entrance where there horses stood waiting for them.

The day had turned to dusk, and the scent of precipitation was strong, it was pouring out. No doubt wild beasts would be lurking about in the forest at night

Merida looked back at the young lords,

Dingwall still held his purchased items closely, and both MacGuffin and Macintosh stayed silent looking back at their princess

She gave them a small smile, "Perhaps we should camp here for the night"

They nodded in agreement. It's not like they would travel when it's dark and raining out,

They admitted it was a weird day for all of them as they set up their campground inside the damp cavern. It was going to be a long night for them.


Translation to what MacGuffin really said:

*"I'm awfully sorry but I do not like magic spells and incantations"

And just for fun note – today is my birthday : ) July 2nd baby lol